Is Your God Awesome?
The
Israelites at the foot of the mountain saw an awesome sight. The awesome glory
of the Lord on the mountaintop looked like a devouring fire. (Ex. 24:17 NLT)
Have you ever said, “Wow! That’s an awesome sight?”
Of all God’s attributes, his awesomeness
has taken the greatest verbal mangling by the younger generation. Around your
home or on TV, this word has probably been hurled at you more than any other.
It’s overused and applied to anything. You see TV advertisements for new cars
with people gazing and following them with their eyes, and their expressions
are saying, “Now that’s awesome!” The same scene is portrayed by advertisers of
other products, all with the goal of drawing you into the marketplace to make a
purchase. The time has come to reclaim this word, because in all honesty, God
and his creation alone are totally awesome.
To be
awesome is to command both fear and adoration. In the Bible, God chose certain
situations to highlight different parts of his character, including his awesomeness. With Moses and seventy
other leaders perched on Mount Sinai, God chose to demonstrate this
characteristic in the hearts of the people standing below through a consuming
fire.
Earlier,
Moses experienced the awesomeness of God through a burning bush that was on
fire, but was not burning up. Certainly the “pillar of fire” was an awesome
sight as it hovered over the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The awesomeness of
God could clearly be seen on the Mount of Transfiguration at described in
Matthew 17. Truly we worship an awesome God.
Instead of
attempting to force a respectful response in worship, begin by look inward.
Seeing God’s awesomeness means acknowledging the truth about yourself—seeing your
own frailty and dependence on him for everything.
Picture yourself standing before God, insignificant in the light of his glory.
Let God’s greatness resonate in your spirit and change your posture. God yearns
to greatly impact and work in the lives of those who humble themselves in this
way.
Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me Lord, for attempting to
puff up my status and importance instead of acknowledging your awesome glory.
Teach me to view myself honestly. I depend on you for my daily needs, and I
give you the praise for my successes.
