Bringing Your Faith Into Focus - Day 4

Today's devotional is adapted from the Life Development Sermon Series at Lifechurch.tv by Craig Groeshel.

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. John 4:23

As you grow in your intimate relationship with God, you will inevitably be moved to a state of worship. Knowing God in His purest essence moves us to worship Him. Jesus said in John 4:23, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

A couple of things from this verse interest me. First, Jesus said there are true worshipers. If there are true worshipers, that implies there are also false worshipers, or hypocrites. God’s desire is that we be true worshipers. The second thing is that the Father seeks true worshipers. Notice what God wasn’t seeking. He wasn’t seeking speakers, evangelists, or good-looking people. He was seeking those who would worship Him. Ultimately, God desires to be glorified,
and He deserves it. He’s the only one worthy of our praise, and we are created to glorify and exalt Him.

How do we become true worshipers? The Bible teaches us to worship with:
1. Awe.
In Revelation 1:16-17a John said, “...His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead...” In the presence of God, John “fell at His feet as though dead.” He couldn’t speak, move, or stand. He could only worship with awe. In the original language, the word shachah is used 170 times in the Bible. It always refers to royalty or to God. It means “to bow down, to fall down flat, to do reverence, to worship, or to worship with awe.” When was the last time you were stunned and shaken in God’s presence? Hebrews 12:28-29 says,“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us
be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” True worshipers worship with awe.

2. Abandonment.
King David worshiped with abandonment. In 2 Samuel 6:21-22, David said to Michael, “...I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.” Notice that David wasn’t in church—he was simply in the presence of God. Even as the king, he lost himself and became undignified as he worshiped with abandonment in the presence of an almighty God. The Old Testament Hebrew word hallaal is the word from which we get the word Hallelujah. It means “to praise, to be clamorously foolish or mad before the Lord.”

If you were to win the lottery, you would likely worship with abandonment. If your favorite sports team is ranked number one in the nation, you may
worship with abandonment. In the presence of an almighty God, you worship with abandonment. The Bible says to “shout to God,” “dance before Him,” “bow down,” “tell of His might,” “meditate on His truth,” “run to Him,” “lift your hands,” “clash the cymbals,” “sing a new song,” “clap your hands,” “lift up your head,” “stand in awe,” “walk in His ways,” “cast down your idols,” “make a loud noise,” “tell the nations,” “seek His face.” True worshipers worship with awe, abandonment…and intimacy…

3. Intimacy.
In the holiness of His presence, you can’t help but worship the One who is worthy. In Psalm 27:4 David said, “One thing I ask of the Lord. This is what I seek. To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon His beauty and to seek Him in the temple.” Focus on David’s
intimate love of God. The only thing he desired was to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. God is not a distant, uninvolved God. He is a loving God who is present with you at this very moment. And He desires your intimate worship.

Next Steps For Today:
Honestly consider the following questions. Respond to the Lord in truth and ask Him to reveal things to You through your time:

• When was the last time you were overwhelmed in the presence of God?
• In view of who God is and what He’s done, what is your appropriate response of worship?
• God is seeking true worshipers. Is worship a way of life for you?

Spend some time in the next few days focusing on specific characteristics of God. Meditate on His holiness, His righteousness, or any other quality that you want. As He reveals Himself, you will be drawn to worship.

Prayer For Today:
Lord, we are overwhelmed by who You are and what You have done. We desire to be true worshipers that bless You and honor You. Draw us into Your presence, so that we can be moved to worship You in fullness. Please take us in our current state and make us awestruck, abandoned, intimate worshipers.