Worship Through the Tears
“Job said, ‘I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!’” — Job 1:21 (NLT)
In 2013, musician TobyMac and his wife, Amanda, lost their 21-year-old son, Truett Foster McKeehan, unexpectedly. In the days that followed, TobyMac wrote, “God didn’t promise us a life without pain. He promised He would never leave us or forsake us.” Despite their unimaginable sorrow, they clung to God’s presence through worship, even recording songs born from their grief.[1]
Job’s response to overwhelming grief defies logic. In one day, he lost all ten of his children and everything he owned. Yet, his first reaction was to worship. He tore his robe, shaved his head—a sign of mourning—but then fell to the ground in reverence to God. Job didn’t suppress his pain; he surrendered it.
In grief, we’re tempted to withdraw from God or question His goodness. But Job reminds us that worship isn’t only for the mountaintop moments—it’s for the valleys, too. When we say “Praise the name of the Lord” through our tears, it becomes the most honest and costly form of worship (2 Samuel 24:24). Job didn’t understand the why, but he trusted the One Who Did.
God's presence does not readily eliminate the pain of grief, but it does help us get through it. Worshipping God in our sorrow brings our hearts back in line with His eternal truth: He is still God, still good, and still with us. And He will eventually restore us, just like He did for Job (Job 42:12–13).
Practical Application:
Write out your honest feelings and prayers about your loss—grief, anger, confusion—and then conclude with one statement of truth about who God is. Let this be your offering to God, like Job did.
Reflection:
How have you seen God’s presence sustain you in moments of loss?
Prayer:
Lord, You are still worthy even when my heart is broken. I don’t understand all that has happened, but I choose to worship You. Stay near to me. Help me trust You in my sorrow, and give me strength for each new day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read More: Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 43:2; John 11:33–35; Lamentations 3:22–24; Romans 8:38–39
[1] TobyMac, personal reflections and music following the death of his son. See Life After Loss by Christian Post, 2020.
