“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” – John 4:23 (NKJV)
Everyone is looking for something. We are all looking for love. Many are looking in the wrong places, while others are denying they are looking. Some are looking for the next thrill, adrenaline rush, or the acceptance of others. Social media has many looking for that next dopamine fix from a rush of likes and comments on their clever post. But, what is God looking for?
If you do a search of the bible for verses about what God is looking for (I highly recommend doing so) you will find a relatively short list of things. Our focus today is on what Jesus said in John 4:23. He said the time has come for true worshipers and it’s those worshipers that the Father is seeking. What does it mean to seek?
That might seem like a silly or obvious question, but it can help us to understand what is happening under the surface. Why do we seek things? We seek, or look, for things because we desire them. People wait in line for the hot new gadget for hours or even days, because they have a desire to possess the latest and greatest device. They believe that device will benefit their lives or be a status symbol to show off to their friends. To them, it has a value that makes it worth their time and effort to ensure they are the first to get that new device. If they already had a device that was just as good or even better, would they go through all that effort to seek out a new one? Of course not.
What about God and Him seeking our true (honest, from the heart) worship? There are angels in heaven whose only job is to worship God. Revelation 4:8 says there are four creatures flying around the throne day and night saying “…Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come…” Think about that. Right now, the Father is in heaven surrounded by angelic worship, but Jesus said He is seeking something else. See, the worship of angels isn’t as valuable to Him as the worship of His own children. He is seeking your worship. The worship of those who have called on Jesus to be their savior. Those whose hearts truly embrace Him and love Him, because He first loved us by giving His life on the cross to save us from our sins.
You might not think much of your worship. Maybe you aren’t a good singer. Maybe people plug their ears when you start to sing along with the radio. But, if you are singing out of a pure and honest heart to the Lord, then I want you to imagine this picture. God, the Father, in heaven surrounded by angels worshiping and singing in all their glory. The moment you open your mouth and begin to thank and praise Him out of an honest heart He holds up His finger to let the angels know to pause and hold their peace. This is what He has been looking for. The honest heartfelt worship of His own child on earth thanking Him for all He has done to save them. It’s like flipping through the radio looking for the right song and when you finally find it you hush everyone so you can give it your full attention. You want to soak it all in and enjoy it to the fullest.
That is how I like to imagine the Father. Jesus said He is seeking our worship. He is the wisest being in all the universe. He wouldn’t seek after something that is worthless. He knows real value when He sees it and He is seeking after the worship that comes from your honest and thankful heart.
What does He do when He finds that kind of heartfelt worship?
