Refrigerator Pictures
Did you ever draw pictures for your parents to put on the refrigerator? Or maybe you have children and you have, or at one time had, a refrigerator door covered with magnets holding up scribbled pictures.
I sometimes imagine our worship to be a lot like those scribbled pictures. Highly imperfect, but greatly loved by God.
God Is Seeking
In John 4 we have the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. In verse 23 Jesus makes a unexpected statement:
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
There is much that could be taught from this one verse, but I want to focus on the very last phrase - even the very last three words: "the Father seeks." God is seeking for something.
Stop to think about this simple truth. God, who is eternal, all-powerful and completely self-sufficient, is seeking something. At first this may seem odd. Why would a being that needs nothing seek for something? I believe the answer lies in our unique relationship with God as His adopted children (Romans 8:15).
God Seeks What Brings Him Delight
God takes great delight in the displays of affection His children offer to Him. Notice that God is seeking those who will worship in "spirit and truth". God is seeking sincere worshipers - those who, out of a heart of gratitude and love, will sincerely and wholeheartedly worship Him.
God has no need of anything. He is complete in Himself. Yet, just as parents take delight in the adoration of their children, God takes delight in our adoration (Psalm 147:11; Psalm 149:4; Zephaniah 3:17). He is not seeking something He needs, but rather something He desires.
When you freely offer your praise and adoration to God, you grant Him a gift that He seeks because it brings Him great delight. When you accept the great gift of salvation you come as a beggar with nothing to offer in the exchange. But now, if you have accepted Christ's gift of salvation, you come as an adopted child of God and have the wonderful privilege of offering Him a gift He truly seeks: your sincere worship!
Worship Is Your Scribbled Picture
Like a young child offering a gift of a scribbled picture to a parent and waiting expectantly for the smile they know will come, I find great joy in knowing that my scribbled efforts to worship God bring pleasure to my heavenly Father. My worship may be childish and imperfect, but my Father loves me and joyfully takes delight in my feeble gift of worship.
Do you think God has a refrigerator covered with your pictures? Please leave a comment.
by Jerry Wyrick, President of Worship Arts Conservatory
“Feeble” is right! How often I feel so inadequate to approach such an awesome holy God. I am so grateful that His Spirit prays on my behalf!