Worship In The Wilderness
What is the Wilderness, and Why Focus on Worship?
When you think about the wilderness, what comes to mind? Maybe Bear Grylls, survival situations, fighting to find food, water, and shelter. And sure, the wilderness in Scripture was just as hard—a place where life isn’t guaranteed, full of challenge and uncertainty.
But what struck me, reading Numbers 2, is that God’s people built their lives and identity around worship, even when survival was on the line. They didn’t just make worship fit around life’s necessities; worship was their first priority. At the very center of their encampment—and by extension, their community, their routines, their very lives—stood the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, where God’s presence dwelt.
Why Worship in the Wilderness?
You’d think that in seasons of difficulty, we’d be laser-focused on practicality and efficiency. But here, we find the Israelites investing enormous time, energy, and resources into moving and maintaining the Tabernacle—a structure with no “practical” use except to facilitate worship.
So why? Let me share four reasons why worship, even when it’s inconvenient, matters deeply in life’s wilderness seasons:
1. God is Still Worthy in the Wilderness
Just because life gets hard doesn’t mean God is any less good. The wilderness doesn’t undo what He’s done in your past, or the promises He made for your future. He was faithful as Creator, Redeemer, Covenant-Keeper, and Deliverer in the past. He’s still kind, still present, still working even when you can’t see the outcome—or when things hurt.
In fact, sometimes it’s in the wilderness that His goodness stands out clearest. Like a bright color splashed onto a dark canvas, God’s presence in hard seasons can feel more vivid than in times of ease.
2. Worship Aligns Us to God’s Kingdom, Not Our Circumstances
In the wilderness, all sorts of circumstances are pulling at your identity, tempting you to react and define yourself by what’s happening TO you. But worship fixes our hearts on God’s unchanging character.
Psalm 22:3 (and more accurate translations) reminds us: “God sits enthroned above the praises of His people.” Worship isn’t about making God show up. It’s about us showing up—realigning ourselves beneath the throne of the King. It’s how we’re transformed, how our minds are renewed (Romans 12), so we’re not just victims of circumstance but people defined by God’s presence.
3. The Wilderness is Temporary—Worship Prepares Us for What’s Next
One day, you’ll emerge from your wilderness. Easy times have their own dangers—namely, that we’ll forget God’s faithfulness. The disciplines and rhythms of worship that we build in difficulty are the very things that will sustain us and keep us anchored in God’s goodness when life gets easy again.
Deuteronomy 8 is a sobering reminder: don’t forget the Lord when you reach the Promised Land. Remember where you came from. Habits of worship, established in the wilderness, are what help us remember.
4. Others Are Watching
Your response in hard times is a testimony. The nations watched Israel in the wilderness; people are watching us too. Often the most profound witness is when people see us worship in difficulty—not because life is easy, but because God is still good.
Be a telescope, not a neon sign. Magnify God by helping others see how big and worthy He truly is—especially when hardship could tempt us to shrink Him down.
How Do We Build Habits of Worship in the Wilderness?
You want this central, inconvenient worship to shape your life? Here are four practical ways to anchor your days in God’s presence, even when life is hard:
1. Begin and End Each Day with Gratitude
No matter what your day looks like, choose to ground it in gratitude. Doesn’t have to be big; just notice and say thank you—for breath, for another sunrise, for whatever glimmer you can find. Gratitude corrects our anxious, negative autopilot and fixes our hearts back on God’s foundational goodness.
2. Bring God Whatever You Have
The Psalms show us that God can handle it all—your joy, your anger, your confusion, your doubt. Don’t wait to “feel it” before you worship. Worship is about showing up, not having all the right words or emotions. Offer Him your mess, your exhaustion, your questions. Just bring your presence to the One who is always present with you.
3. Practice Firstfruits
Offer God the first and best of everything—your time, your energy, your resources. Maybe that means showing up to work a few minutes early and dedicating the first moments of your day to prayer. Maybe it’s being intentional about praying over your meals, even if the food gets a little cold. Whatever you do, put God first.
4. Sing—Even When It Feels Strange
Music has a mysterious power to unite hearts. For thousands of years, God’s people have sung—even in the wilderness. Lift your voice. Lean into the discomfort. Let singing be an act of defiant hope and unity, centering you (and your community) on God’s presence.
Final Encouragement
Wilderness seasons are hard. But they don’t last forever, and they don’t define who God is. No matter where you find yourself—struggling, thriving, or somewhere in between—He’s worthy. Worship is how we survive, how we’re transformed, and how we show the world who God really is.
So this week, will you try it? Begin and end your days with gratitude. Show up honestly to God. Give Him your first and best. Sing out—even if it’s off-key. Because worship isn’t just for the easy times, but the lifeline that pulls us through the wilderness, into the freedom God has for us.
Let’s keep walking—and worshiping—together.
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