Worshipping God when things are going well is easy. But what happens when prayers go unanswered, doors slam shut, or the diagnosis isn’t good? Worshipping God in these situations can be difficult, and, for some people, impossible. Yet this is often where deep worship begins—not in comfort, but in conflict. Rick Warren writes, “The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting Him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving Him when He seems distant.” This is not theoretical; rather, it is deeply personal. Worship during difficult times is sometimes expressed through tears. Yet, interestingly, these times of worship are and were often deeper than anything you and I had ever offered God. To worship from a place of pain, hurt, and confusion is indeed a sacrifice.
Warren’s words hold the kind of worship that cannot be manufactured in comfort. Looking at the words, step by step, we see worship that is forged in fire: 1) Praising in pain. Job lost everything, yet he fell to the ground and worshiped (Job 1:20-21). Praise does not mean we deny the pain; it means we declare God is greater than the pain. 2) Thanking during trials. Paul and Silas sang hymns in prison (Acts 16:25). Gratitude in darkness is an act of spiritual defiance against despair. 3) Trusting when tempted. Jesus, in the wilderness, fought Satan’s lies with God’s truth (Matthew 4:1-11). Trust chooses obedience even when shortcuts are tempting. 4) Surrendering while suffering. In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Surrender is not weakness—it’s strength placed in God’s hands. 5) Loving Him when He seems distant. David cried out, “Why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1). Yet, even in the silence, he kept praying. Love clings when it does not feel held.
In Psalm 23:4, David writes, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (ESV). There are no promises that you and I can or will avoid the valley. What is promised is that we do not and will not walk it alone. Worship is not about escaping the valley; it’s about walking through it with the Shepherd, declaring His presence even when we cannot see the way ahead. Of course, that is much easier said than done; trust me, I know. I have been there. However, I draw my inspiration from Habakkuk, who writes, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places” (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
Habakkuk reminds us that praise is not based on our circumstances but is rooted in our relationship with God. Though he faced desolation and despair, he responded with joy, hope, and worship: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” That “yet,” in this context, means “at the same time,” “be that as it may,” “even so,” or “however.” Notice he did not deny the realities of the situation, nor did he put his head in the sand. He decided that two things could be true at the same time: desolation and despair, and worship. Regardless of what was going on, he would rejoice in the Lord. That was for him the turning point; it was where worship won over worry. So, what about you? What is your “yet” statement? May the God of all grace help us to worship Him when it is hardest; to praise, thank, trust, surrender, and love Him even in our wildernesses. May He strengthen our faith, not through escape from life’s challenges, but through encountering Him in them.
