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Finding freedom in God's presence when pain, suffering, and a performance-driven culture compete for our attention.

There is something extraordinary that happens when we choose to worship God in the middle of our pain.

Whether the suffering is physical, emotional, or spiritual, genuine worship has a way of loosening the grip that pain holds over our lives. Not because worship is merely a distraction from our troubles, but because it redirects our attention to the One who is greater than anything we face.

When we worship in spirit and in truth, we acknowledge the presence of the Holy One. Scripture reminds us that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). And where His presence is welcomed, there is freedom, hope, restoration, and healing.

When Pain Meets the Presence of God

I have experienced this firsthand.

Many years ago, while serving as a worship leader, I suffered from severe back pain. The condition was so serious that surgery was being considered. Yet something remarkable happened every time I stepped onto the platform to lead worship. The pain disappeared. I could stand, move, and worship without the slightest awareness of the pain that had troubled me before the service. But almost as soon as I stepped off the platform, the pain would return.

At first, I found this puzzling. But then I began noticing something similar at home. Whenever I entered into an attitude of genuine worship, the pain seemed to diminish.

It was as though the weight of my physical suffering lost its authority over my attention when my heart became fully occupied with the Lord.

Recently, I was reminded of this powerful lesson.

I have been dealing with musculoskeletal pain throughout my body. Last Sunday, as we gathered with other worshipers, I made a deliberate decision. I wasn't going to allow pain to determine the measure of my praise. I was going to worship wholeheartedly—with banners waving, my heart fully engaged, and the whole nine yards!

Once again, something beautiful happened. In the midst of worship, the pain was no more.

Now, I am not suggesting that every physical affliction will immediately disappear when we begin to worship. But I am saying that I have personally experienced the power of God's presence in ways that no human explanation can fully describe.

And it has taught me something I never want to forget. Pain may be present in our bodies, but it does not have to occupy the throne of our hearts.

That place belongs to God alone.

The Power of Relentless Worship

What was the common denominator in both of these experiences? Relentless worship. Not a casual song. Not a few religious words. Not an emotional response to beautiful music. I am talking about wholehearted adoration of the One True God; a deliberate surrender that welcomes Him into the very center of whatever we are facing.

The apostle Paul reminds us:

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Liberty!

Freedom from the tyranny of fear. Freedom from the overwhelming weight of our circumstances. Freedom to trust God even when our bodies hurt, our hearts are broken, or our situations remain unchanged.

That is why, even as I write these words, worship music fills my office. I want the Lord to be welcome here. I want Him to inhabit my praise, guide these words, and fill this message with His hope and healing. The reason is because worship is not simply something I do on Sunday mornings. It is the atmosphere I want to cultivate in my everyday life.

When Worship Becomes a Performance

But there is another side to this conversation that we cannot afford to ignore. Worship, when centered on the God of heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ, is a mighty weapon in the life of every believer.

Throughout Scripture, we see praise accompanying extraordinary victories. Strongholds fall, battles are won, and weary hearts are strengthened when God's people turn their attention toward Him.

But we must also recognize that not everything called worship is necessarily pleasing to Him. I fear that much of what we see on worship platforms today has slowly shifted from being God-centered to personality-centered. The lights, the talent, the production, the celebrity worship leaders, and the recognition of those who write the songs can sometimes overshadow the very One we claim to be worshiping. I cannot help but wonder:

If the famous worship leader didn't show up, would the worshipers still come?

If the lights went out, the instruments fell silent, and no one stood on a platform, would we still know how to enter into the presence of the Lord? Or have we become so accustomed to being entertained that we have forgotten how to worship?

This brings me to a sobering passage of Scripture.

In Leviticus 10:1–3, Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered strange fire before the Lord—something He had not commanded them to do.

The consequences were severe.

God declared:

“By those who come near Me
I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people
I must be glorified.” (Leviticus 10:3)

What a powerful reminder!

Worship is not ours to reinvent according to personal ambition, popularity, or cultural trends. It belongs to God.

While the account of Nadab and Abihu concerns a specific act of disobedience in priestly worship, it reminds us of a timeless Kingdom principle: God's holiness must never become secondary to man's desire for recognition.

When worship becomes more about the person holding the microphone than the One seated upon the throne, something sacred has been lost. With that being said, perhaps it is time for the Church to examine the fire upon its altars.

When I turn to the Psalms, I find something vastly different from the polished performances we have become accustomed to seeing. I find David. A shepherd boy. A warrior. A king. A man acquainted with rejection, betrayal, loneliness, fear, failure, and profound personal sorrow.

David did not live an easy life. Even after becoming king, he experienced devastating consequences from his own choices and the actions of others. Yet through it all, David understood something essential about worship.

He did not wait for his circumstances to become favorable before turning his heart toward God.

He worshiped through disappointment.

He worshiped through danger.

He worshiped through betrayal.

He worshiped through repentance.

...and yes, sometimes he cried out in anger, frustration, and anguish.

I am grateful that God allowed those raw emotions to remain in the Psalms. They remind us that authentic worship does not require us to pretend that everything is wonderful.

True worship is not the absence of pain. It is the surrender of our pain to the One who is worthy of our praise.

David Understood What Many Have Forgotten

For years, I wondered why David, a man with such obvious failures, was described as a man after God's own heart. After all, David sinned grievously. He made decisions that wounded others and brought painful consequences upon his own household.

So what was it about David's heart that pleased God?

As I sought the Lord about this question, I became increasingly aware of the importance of David's response when confronted with his sin.

He repented. He did not excuse his wrongdoing or attempt to redefine God's standards to accommodate his failures.

When the prophet Nathan confronted him, David acknowledged his sin before the Lord. Psalm 51 gives us a beautiful, heartbreaking picture of genuine repentance.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

David was not a man after God's own heart because he was flawless. He was a man who knew where to turn when his heart had wandered. His life was marked by both serious failures and sincere repentance.

Now, that should cause every one of us to examine our own hearts. When God confronts us with sin, do we humble ourselves before Him? Or do we defend our actions and continue down the same destructive path?

Worship and repentance belong together because genuine worship requires a heart that is willing to surrender.

Worship Is a Choice, Not a Circumstance

Perhaps this is one of the greatest lessons we can learn from David. Worship was not reserved for his victories. It was woven into his suffering. He understood that God's worthiness was not determined by the condition of his life. And neither is ours.

Perhaps that is why we are here today; to learn to worship the One True God regardless of our circumstances, disappointments, or losses.

In knowing this, we understand all the more where worship becomes something far greater than music.

It becomes surrender.

It becomes trust.

It becomes the declaration that God is still worthy, even when life makes no sense.

I believe we must learn to guard the sacred place of worship in our lives. Not merely the public moments when others can see our devotion, but the secret place where no one is watching.

The quiet room. The early morning hours. The bedside where tears have fallen.

The moments when our bodies ache, our hearts are weary, and we have nothing impressive to offer the Lord. Those are often the very places where our worship becomes most precious, because there is no audience to impress. No applause to receive. No reputation to maintain.

There is only the worshiper and the One who is worthy.

When we keep the Lord in His rightful place, upon the throne of our hearts, we discover that His presence is sufficient to sustain us through the storms of life. For He is our refuge. Our comfort. Our very present help in times of trouble. He is the Father who shelters us beneath the shadow of His wings, even when the storms rage around us. And He is the Savior who promised:

“I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

What an extraordinary promise!

We are never abandoned in our suffering. We are never forgotten in our weakness. Nor are we ever beyond the reach of His sustaining grace.

I have learned that worship does not always change our circumstances immediately. Sometimes the pain remains. Sometimes the answer is delayed. Sometimes the storm continues long after we have finished singing. But worship changes where we place our confidence.

It reminds us that pain is temporary, but God is eternal. That our circumstances may be uncertain, but His character is unchanging. That our bodies may grow weary, but His strength never fails.

Sometimes, in those extraordinary moments when we abandon ourselves completely to His presence, we experience a freedom that reminds us just how powerful our God truly is.

So today, whether you are walking through physical suffering, emotional heartbreak, disappointment, or an overwhelming season of uncertainty, I want to encourage you to do something.

Worship Him anyway.

Not because everything is right in your world, or you have received every answer.

Don’t worship Him just because the pain has disappeared. Worship Him for one reason and one reason alone, and that He is worthy!

Worship Him until the noise of this world grows strangely dim in comparison to His greatness. Worship Him until your heart remembers who sits upon the throne. Worship Him with gratitude, reverence, repentance, and wholehearted surrender.

And above all, protect that sacred place where your worship becomes a holy offering before the Lord. Because the greatest gift of worship is not simply what God can do for us in His presence.

The greatest gift of worship is God Himself, for He is our portion!

And when we truly understand that, we will no longer need a platform, a personality, or even a perfect day to give Him the glory He deserves.

We will simply worship.

Selah.

Jane E. Morin
Selah & Psalms

David Danced

As a worshiper, I envisioned the life of David and how he worshiped in all circumstances. He never held back his worship or devotion to God. Perhaps that is a lesson for us too! That is why I created, "David Danced" as we see in 2 Samuel 6:34 that David danced with all his might before the Lord. May we each be reminded that it is in our total abandonment of the things of this world, we will find that secret place of worship and adoration of the One True God!

I offer Fine Art Prints of my work through Mercy In Color!

Check out this one and more at mercyincolor.com

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