Revcort's Ramblings

Scripture Focus

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” — John 4:23–24 (ESV)

Devotional Thought

Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman turns on a question that feels familiar even today: Where does true worship happen? She points to a mountain; the Jews point to Jerusalem. Jesus gently dismantles both assumptions. The location is not the heart of the matter. The object of worship is.

To worship in truth is to direct worship to the true God—Father, Son, and Spirit—as He has revealed Himself. The Samaritans had sincere religious practices, but their understanding was incomplete. Jesus’ words are sobering: sincerity alone does not equal truth. True worship is grounded in rightly knowing who God is and what He has done—“for salvation is from the Jews,” culminating in Christ Himself.

But Jesus does not stop there. He adds that true worshipers must worship in spirit. This is not about mood, music style, or emotional intensity. It is about life—spiritual life. Just one chapter earlier, Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born of the Spirit. That new birth is the doorway to spiritual worship.

Worship in spirit flows from a living connection with God. What was once dead has been made alive. The believer communes with God not merely through songs or services, but through a transformed life—walking with Him, listening to Him, responding in obedience and trust. Singing may express worship, but worship itself is larger than singing.

We can still fall into the Samaritan woman’s confusion—thinking worship happens only in a building, as though God resides within walls. Corporate worship matters deeply, but God is not confined to geography. Where two or three gather in His name, He is present. And where a believer lives by the Spirit, worship is already happening.

True worship, then, is not about where you stand—but who you know, who you worship, and whether your heart has been made alive by the Spirit.

Reflection Questions

1. When you think about worship, do you focus more on location or on the object of worship?

2. How does knowing God as He has revealed Himself shape the way you worship Him?

3. In what ways does worship extend beyond songs and services in your daily life?

4. How does being born of the Spirit change what worship looks like for you?

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for seeking true worshipers. Teach us to worship You as You truly are—not confined by place, preference, or habit. Make our hearts alive by Your Spirit, rooted in Your truth, and responsive to Your presence in every part of life. May our worship rise not only from our lips, but from lives transformed by Christ. Amen.