Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. – Psalm 95:1-7
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
Worship is both an invitation and a response. In Psalm 95, the psalmist calls God’s people to come with joyful songs, lifting their voices and gratitude and awe. The tone is exuberant –“Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise” – because worship begins with remembering who God is: the Rock of our salvation, the King above all gods, the One who holds the depths of the earth and the highest mountains, the seas and the dry land. The Psalm then moves from praise to posture: “Oh come, let us worship and bow down… let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.” Worship is exuberant expression and humble submission woven together. It engages our whole being – our voices, our hearts, our bodies, and our souls.
John 4:23-24 deepens the picture. Jesus teaches that true worshippers “worship the Father in spirit and in truth,” revealing that worship is not confined to a location, style, or a certain ritual. Worship is rooted in authenticity – our spirits responding to God’s Spirit – and grounded in truth – aligning our worship with who God truly is and what God has revealed in Christ. Where Psalm 95 emphasizes the majesty and shepherding care of God, John 4 reveals God’s longing for worship that flows from a life that is transformed from the inside out. These passages remind us that worship is upward (giving glory to God), inward (aligning our hearts and lives with God’s truth) and relational (responding to God who seeks us).
When these two passages come together, they offer a full vision of worship: joyful yet reverent, expressive yet sincere, and communal yet deeply personal. Worship isn’t simply something we attend; it’s the posture of a heart that knows it belongs to the Shepherd and desires to meet God honestly. When we worship in spirit and truth, and with joy and humility, we encounter the God who made us, shepherds us, and invites us to know Him intimately.
I’m reminded of this often in my own life. I find myself moved again and again by the gentle powerful presence of the Holy Spirit – whether I’m standing in worship at church, driving alone in my car with praise music playing, or sitting quietly in my home in the early morning hours. In these precious moments, the joy of Psalm 95 and the sincerity of worship in spirit and truth from John 4 become deeply personal, drawing my heart back to God with renewed awe, comfort, and gratitude.