Read JOHN 4:19–26

In the article “Love the Lord with All Your Voice,” theology professor Steven R. Guthrie argued that singing should be regarded as a “spiritual discipline— an important practice in Christian spiritual formation, and a means of growing in the life of faith.” Rather than being an act of expression, worshipful singing begins as an act of imitation; for example, by learning to sing the psalms until their words become our own.

Just as the entire Trinity is involved in the gospel and its proclamation, so also is the entire Trinity involved in worship. We see this in today’s reading, which is part of the well-known narrative of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well. She might have raised the topic of where to worship as a distraction, since it was a known bone of contention between Jews and Samaritans. But Jesus, as He always did, took the opportunity to say something worthwhile and redemptive.

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in the Spirit and in truth” (v. 24). God is the only worthy recipient of our worship, including all three Persons of the Trinity. The Spirit Himself enables our worship, which must be coupled with truth, that is, with the revelation of God in Christ. We cannot make God in our image, though many today try.

Interestingly, Jesus identified Himself directly here as the Messiah (v. 26), seemingly the only time He did so prior to Passion Week. This might be because the Samaritans, who accepted only the Pentateuch as Scripture, did not have the same political messianic expectations as the Jews did because they did not know messianic prophecy. Though she lacked both status and access to all the Jewish Scriptures, Jesus revealed more about His identity to this sinful Samaritan woman—and her life was transformed.

APPLY THE WORD

Hopefully tomorrow you will have the opportunity to sing praise to God—but you don’t have to wait for a church service! Even those of us who can’t carry a tune can still bring glory to God through musical praise. In response to the Trinity’s transforming power through the gospel, take time today to worship through song.

http://www.todayintheword.org