There are many times when we wonder what God wants us to do. As His children, we seek His mind with the desire to hear and obey. There are many examples in Scripture of those who presented themselves for the service of God who were marked by a willingness to obey. When Samuel discerned the voice of God, he replied, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1Sa 3:10).[1] When the angel appeared to Mary and delivered the shocking news that she would bear a Son who would save His people from their sins, her response was, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luk 1:38). In both instances, these young people were prepared to listen, obey and submit to the voice of God. We may be tempted to read these accounts and say that if God communicated to us in the same way, we would be more inclined to respond like Samuel or Mary. However, God has spoken clearly in His written Word. This provides a framework for our decision making and also highlights the things God values. We should come to Scripture with the attitude of Samuel or Mary and expect the light of His Word to shine on the road we are to take.
We often hear that the plain things are the main things. This is the doctrine of perspicuity. Scripture is not only inerrant, but its truths are clear and accessible enough for all to understand. Most of what God expects of me is shown in His Word. The hardest part is not finding out what He wants but living out what He wants. At times, we can fixate on the obscure details of God’s will for our lives at the expense of what we know He wants from us. There are many clear desires of God, and one is that we worship Him.
When the Lord Jesus sat at Sychar’s well, He discussed the nature of worship with the Samaritan woman. Her focus was on the physical place where worship would occur. The Lord Jesus introduced her to a truth that marks this present dispensation: “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” (Joh 4:23). This verse shows that God desires worshippers. Our first response to the character of God and the work of Christ ought to be awe-filled worship. A.W. Tozer wrote, “We are saved to worship God. All that Christ has done in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end.” Worship goes beyond the blessings I receive to the character of God Himself.
In a display of worship that stands supreme in the New Testament, a woman anointed the Lord Jesus with a very precious ointment. Sadly, even the disciples lacked spiritual perception and asked, “Why this waste?” (Mat 26:8). To others around it may have appeared to squander resources, but to the Saviour it was precious. Our acts of worship and sacrifice may be unnoticed or even criticized by others, yet our God notices all that is done for Him. Of the many things that God wants, let devoted worship be the first one to mark us.
[1] Bible quotations in this article are from the NKJV.
