God is a spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.  (John 4:24)

The Samaritan woman, knowing Jesus was Jewish, tried changing the difficult and personal direction their conversation had taken. Jesus used this opening to help her realize her need and that worship isn’t just going to a designated place or joining in a ritual. God’s people are, of course, called to not fail to gather together (Heb 10:25) but this in itself isn’t the extent of worship.

So what is worship?  Worship for Jesus was more than place and ritual. It was that joy and privilege which belonged only to those who, discovering the emptiness of their lives, have found, in His love and grace, life eternal.

For the believer, life is a journey of worship that is lived and deepens as it goes.  It is what the psalmist calls the “highway to Zion.” (Psalm 84: 5) While he may pass through the valley of tears, as he goes, it becomes a “valley of grace and blessing.”  In thanksgiving, he more and more gives over his life and submits to God’s truth. He lives calling upon the Spirit for direction, living “strength to strength, always with a deeper understanding and seeking God’s glory.

–Curt Brannan