That was the worst!”
One of my weakness is my passion. I tend to love things, people, sports team, and places deeply. My wife once told me I needed to stop watching football if it was going to make me so miserable and short-tempered the next day. True story!
This kind of attitude has led to me saying “that was the worst” after a meal or experience that didn’t live up to my expectation. I’ve even said, “God is nowhere to be found,” during a difficult season in life. We often feel like a wilderness or dry season are places where God is absent or silent.
However, when we read through the Scriptures, we see something very different. In Genesis 28, Jacob is running away from Esau, and he stops to sleep. There, he has a dream of a stairway to heaven. He wakes up and says, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”
Those same words could be spoken about where you are today, if you find yourself in a valley or a desert. That is the kind of place that Seph Schlueter was in during a song writing session. In a post on his social medi accounts, Schuelter talked about a writing season where he was writing in the morning and afternoon. Writing was not easy, as he wrestled with God after a heartbreaking loss. Schlueter had not been able to talk or write about it up to this point.
“One of these other writers who came in for a second write asked, ‘Hey, I saw this happen. How are you guys doing?’ And it was just a beautiful opportunity to open up, talk about it, and share and write from that place. Just to create from that place of mutual(ity). Both of us had gone through a loss, a heartbreak, and had journeyed through it to some extent, to where we see how God was still moving in the midst of it. So, it was so beautiful. We were able to kind of write this song, and be able to just share this testimony of, “man, God, you are still moving. You were so good. You were still worth our worship, even when it's hard.”
That writing session produced powerful lyrics, including these where Schlueter declares that God’s character is not limited nor shaped by our circumstances. In the caption for the post, he wrote the following reminder. “God is still moving. He’s still good. And He’s still worthy our worship. Even in the lowest of valleys.“
Now, that’s a very different view than many of us take. We view Jesus as worthy of worship when things are going well, when our accounts are moving up and to the right, and as we experience success in life. Yet, here is Seph Schlueter telling us that God is worthy of worship in the lowest of valleys!
“The Valley of Worship: asks a question that cuts right to the heart of that idea: "Where else would I ever go?" It's almost word for word what Peter said to Jesus in John 6, after a hard teaching caused many followers to walk away. Jesus turned to the twelve and asked if they wanted to leave too. Peter answered, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life." Peter didn't say that from a mountaintop. He said it in a moment of confusion and loss. And that's exactly where worship becomes most real.
Notice what the song doesn't say. It doesn't say the valley disappears, nor does it promise the pain goes away. Instead, “Valley of Worship” reminds us that God can turn a valley of death into a valley of worship. That's what Jacob discovered at Bethel. That's what Schuelter discovered in that writing room. The place of pain became the place of meeting!
The bridge puts this beautifully: "Gardens where nothing should grow." That's the Isaiah 61 promise — beauty from ashes, joy in place of mourning, life springing up in soil that looked dead. God doesn't wait for your circumstances to improve before He shows up. He grows something vibrant in the valley itself.
So, if you find yourself in a hard season right now, here's the reminder you will find in Seph Schlueter’s song, “The Valley of Worship,” echoed by Scripture. God is in this place, even if you aren't aware of it yet. And the altar you build there, in the middle of the pain, may end up being the most significant marker of your faith. Don’t stop trusting God and keep taking your next step!
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker who loves tacos, matcha, and sneakers. With more than twenty years of ministry experience, he teaches with a blend of Biblical truth, emotional awareness, and the compassion shaped by his own struggles.
Scott’s writing has impacted over six million readers through trusted platforms such as the YouVersion Bible App, Air1 Radio, and Our Daily Bread. He’s the author of Faith Behind the Song, a 40-day devotional book published by K-LOVE Books. Whether speaking on a stage or writing on a page, he offers a steady, empathetic voice that reassures people they are seen, loved, and not beyond God's healing reach. Forty thousand subscribers from over fifty countries are excited to read his free newsletter every Tuesday morning. You can join that list today at ScottSavageLive.com!
