Written by Aaron York, Dr. Kate Hartman, Corbin York
Artist Testimonies
Song Pairing
Still Worth Your Praise
Revelation 4:11 (ESV) – "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." [1]
God is always worthy of our praise because He is the Creator of all things. The word worship comes from Old English roots, meaning worth and condition, signifying value and esteem. To worship means to honor and regard something or someone as worthy.
Our relationship with God must be anchored in His worthiness, not our circumstances. When we lose sight of His worthiness, we unintentionally place ourselves on the throne of our heart. We attempt to control our lives by our will instead of submitting to Him. We focus on our trials—pain, change, or unmet expectations—and shift our gaze away from Christ.
Peter experienced this firsthand. In the middle of a perilous storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus beckoned Peter to step out of the disciples’ boat and walk on the water. All was fine until Peter shifted his focus away from Jesus and onto the crashing waves. When Peter lost his focus, he immediately began to sink [2]. The storm that threatened the disciples’ boat now threatened Peter’s life. Suddenly, Jesus’s outstretched arm grasped Peter’s hand. He was saved through the storm.
On another perilous night on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples’ boat suddenly met with ferocious wind, torrential rain, and treacherous waves. Terrified and convinced that they were about to die, the disciples shook Jesus awake. Jesus’ calm, undisturbed demeanor offended them until the Lord of Creation spoke three powerful words, “Peace, be still.” The storm broke. Calm came. The disciples were saved [3].
Jesus revealed Himself in ways they could understand only because of their desperation.
Pain is not our enemy. Often, it becomes the means through which God brings new life. Jesus’ most painful moments—His suffering and death—produced the greatest act of love and redemption in history: the Cross [4][5]. In John 12:24 [6], Jesus declared that a grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die. Only then can the seed produce a harvest. This foreshadowed Jesus’s death and resurrection. In the same way, the Holy Spirit compels us to surrender—to die to our thoughts, desires, and plans so that His perfect will can prevail [7][8].
God’s pruning is not punishment but preparation [9]. The enemy wants to pervert our pain into complaining, to shift our worship from God onto our own will. Don’t give in. Run to God, not away from Him. Look up into the face of Jesus, not down at the stormy sea. Stop trying to get the Lord of Creation to endorse your plans—submit instead to Him. Be still. Lay down your will. And walk with Jesus. Let the One Who calms the sea say, “Peace! Be still” [10] to the storms around and within you.
True worship is about moving from striving to resting in the Lord. It flows out of delight instead of duty. God knows the cry of your heart—will you wait on Him? Creation responds to His voice; the wind and waves obey. Will you? He is always worthy of your praise.
Take a Moment:
Where is God calling you to be still?
What storms—within or around you—does He want to reveal Himself in?
Where does His peace need to “destroy the authority attached to chaos” in your life?
What changes do you need to make to return to Him, wait on Him, and listen for His voice?
The Bridal Response
The entire Bible is a picture of God pursuing intimacy with humankind. From Genesis to Revelation, we see His desire for us to see Him, know Him, and walk in communion with Him. God’s heart, from the Garden of Eden (“Delight”) [11] to the Garden of Paradise (Revelation 21) [12], is for us to know His glory. Jesus prayed that His disciples would “see His glory” [13], and the prophets declared that “the earth is full of His glory” [14]. The Holy Spirit desires to make this reality known to us today.
Infused into the biblical tapestry, the Holy Spirit intertwined a beautiful thread, weaving imagery from ancient Jewish marriage customs to depict His loving heart. When God formed Adam and Eve, He clothed them in glory [15]—until sin corrupted them—and us, Adam and Eve’s descendants [16]. Original intimacy was broken, but God promised to send One who would restore—Jesus, our Glorious Heavenly Bridegroom [17].
The enemy, however, works tirelessly through accusations, distractions, and deception to keep us unaware of God’s glory. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy the image and likeness of God within us [18], draining our joy and strength. The battle is for our hearts. When bitterness, resentment, and complaining take over, our eyes become blind to God’s presence [19]. But Jesus made a way for us. In the Garden of Gethsemane (“Oil Press”) [20], He was “crushed,” and His life was poured out in blood [21]. Through His suffering and obedience, He bore the agony of the cross, drinking the full cup of God’s wrath so that we could have unbroken fellowship with the Father [22]. His agony became our victory. His cross gloriously restored our intimacy with God.
No matter what trial, pain, or loss you face, place yourself at the Lord’s feet. Fix your eyes on His beauty, for He will cover you with salvation [23]. The enemy wants to blind you to God’s glory, but the Lord invites you to see Him, know Him, and experience the reality of heaven on earth.
Take a Moment:
Adjusting Expectations – Do I see trials as an expected part of my walk with Christ, or do I view them as interruptions? How might my faith deepen if I embraced trials as a normal part of following Jesus?
Reframing Perspective – When I face suffering, do I ask, “Why is this happening to me?” or “How is God using this to grow me?” How can I shift my mindset to trust His refining work in my life?
Encouraging Others – Who in my life is struggling right now? How can I share God’s promises and be a source of comfort and encouragement to them today?
Pursuing Intimacy – Am I intentionally setting aside time each day to be with Jesus, my Heavenly Bridegroom? How can I deepen my relationship with Him in moments of hardship?
Closing Prayer:
Lord, I surrender my trials to You. Help me to pursue intimacy with You daily, especially when life is hard. Help me walk in faith, knowing that suffering has a purpose. Strengthen me to endure, fix my eyes on Your holiness, and find comfort in Your promises. Help me be a source of encouragement to others as You have encouraged me. Amen.
Footnotes:
[1] Revelation 4:11 – "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."
[2] Matthew 14:29-31 – "He said, 'Come.' So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.' Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'"
[3] Mark 4:37-41 – "And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion..."
[4] Isaiah 53:5 – "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities..."
[5] Romans 5:8 – "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
[6] John 12:24 – "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
[7] Galatians 2:20 – "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me..."
[8] Isaiah 55:8-9 – "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord..."
[9] John 15:2 – "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."
[10] Mark 4:39 – "And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
[11] Genesis 2:8 – "And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed."
[12] Revelation 21:1-3 – "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away..."
[13] John 17:24 – "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory..."
[14] Isaiah 6:3 – "'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!'"
[15] Psalm 8:5-9 – "Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor..."
[16] Romans 5:12-15 – "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..."
[17] Ephesians 5:31-32 – "'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.'"
[18] John 10:10 – "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
[19] 2 Corinthians 4:4 – "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers..."
[20] Matthew 26:36 – "Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray.'"
[21] Luke 22:44 – "And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
[22] Isaiah 53:5 – "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities..."
[23] Psalm 149:4 – "For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation."
Wow. I am undone. These truths have been faithful companions to us on this journey and you all captured them beautifully with the testimonies, music and devotional. He really is beautiful, excellent, wonderful & marvelous and forever worthy of our praise.