Covenant Worship: Even in Sorrow

“Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors?” — Malachi 2:10(ESV)

I love the word being taught at my House of Worship from Malachi 2. Covenant is not just a divine agreement, it’s the foundation of our relationship with God and with one another. It’s not about performance. It’s about belonging. Covenant tells us, “You are Mine, and I won’t let go.” And when we forget that, when we treat God as if He does not exist, and one another with disregard, we aren’t just being unkind, we’re dishonoring the very covenant that binds us as His people.

We were created to thrive within the shelter of that covenant. When we walk in faithfulness, we find ourselves under the covering of His holy presence. That’s where our souls learn to stand, even when sorrow hits like a wave.

“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” — Psalm 29:2

I witnessed that kind of worship firsthand. My sister, in the wake of losing her beloved husband of forty years, this past week, was sitting beside me at her table. Amid the whirlwind of preparations for the memorial service, she was on the phone handling one of those many small, necessary details that arise in moments like this.

At the close of the call with this young man, she paused and gently asked, “Is there anything you need prayer for?” The young man on the other end went silent. Then he said, “Yes… my daughter.”

And right there, while her own heart was heavy with grief, my sister lifted a fervent, Spirit-filled prayer over that man and his child. She didn’t rush. She didn’t withhold. She gave God what He was due, and the young man an encouraging word through prayer, even in the midst of her pain. She even invited him to know the Lord for himself.

She magnified God in her sorrow. And I had the holy privilege of witnessing it.
That moment wasn’t about convenience. It was covenant. That was worship in the beauty of holiness, offered in the valley, not the mountaintop.

We sometimes believe deception when it whispers that hardship is an excuse to withhold our worship. But covenant love says otherwise. It says even now, God is worthy. It invites us to worship not just when it’s easy, but especially when it’s costly.

My sister reminded me that covenant doesn’t stop at the church doors or the sanctuary altar. Covenant travels with us, into our phone calls, our memorial services, our deepest griefs. It’s there when we choose to love, to pray, to worship, even when it hurts.

And in doing so, we declare with our lives: God is still worthy. Let us worship like that. Let us worship a God who deserves ALL of our praise and remain in a covenant relationship with Him.

Let us come under His tent, under the beauty of His holiness, not just when we feel strong, but especially when we feel weak. Because the truth is, God isn’t looking for what’s convenient. He’s looking for what’s consecrated.

He’s not a contract God. He’s a covenant-keeping God. And even in the storm, especially in the storm, He is still worthy.