I made a pact with the Lord. “Lord, I will be honest with you in everything.” I know it may sound unnecessary — He already knows everything about me. But my simple declaration made a difference. Emotions, dreams, questions, desires: they are now all topics of conversation with Him. Our discussions are sprinkled with laughter, visited by tears, but governed by honesty.
As Jesus conversed with the Samaritan woman in John chapter four, He said there will come a day when true worshippers will worship in Spirit and in truth, and these are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. The Father seeks out these worshippers.
How have we worshiped God? Have we come to God with an image of our own creation? Have we submitted an offering of our own labor? Jesus did not say, “True worshippers will worship me in Spirit and in perfection.” So, why do we try to be clothed with perfection before we enter His Presence?
God gives us trials to test the motivation of our hearts because He desires true worship.
This is often apparent when we come to God with a request, something we desperately want. He may ask us to lay our desires at His feet. Then, we begin to enter a trial, a time of testing. It may become apparent that we will not receive what we desire. The Lord asks us to surrender, laying aside the dreams and desires we are clutching. If we surrender, entrusting all to Him, we will sense freedom flooding our life. We then may hear Him whisper, “You have been tested. Your heart is for me.” We will find God has used our desires to test our heart. True worship arises out of true sacrifice.
It isn’t that the Lord selfishly demands we give Him something we want. It’s simply that He wants our heart. And He wants to show us how much we truly want Him. In these moments, we will find He is worthy. Worthy of our dreams. Worthy of our desires. Worthy of our worship.
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