Awed by His Glory

Scripture

1: O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

6: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

14: I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

17: How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Psalm 139 (NKJV)

27: To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1 (NIV)

Has humanity has lost its sense of WOW? Not only have people become desensitized to things which used to shock them, they are no longer moved by the things that used to cause them to feel a sense of wonder. Remember being young and trying to catch lightning bugs? How cool was it when they could be seen blinking inside a closed fist? Or think about how people must have felt when they saw a shooting star. What about the joy of identifying the Big and Little Dipper in the night sky? These simple things once caused people to be awed by the wonders of creation – which reflect the glory of God – now, they are rarely spoken of or even thought of by them.

What has happened that so many have lost their sense of WOW? This lackadaisical attitude not only applies to things in nature, it has extended to the Creator Himself. How often are people awed by the wonders of God, His creation, the miracles they witness every day, the answered prayers, the joy of His salvation? Do people feel a sense of wonder when they witness an amazing sunrise or sunset? Are they reminded of how the God of the universe spoke these things into existence and they are still operating as He commanded? How often do they stop to think about the power of the Holy Spirit – God Himself – living inside them?

If life is “life-ing” to the point of indifference, it’s time to slow down and see the glory of God all around. Be intentional about marveling at the beauty in everyday life. Stop and smell the roses. Go for an early morning walk and watch the sunrise. Take an afternoon stroll and pay attention to the sunset. When possible, take walks through a park or other public place with lots of green space. Look inward and reflect on the miracle that you are. Take time to breathe and marvel at the wonder of the complexity of just being.

David was blown away by the fact that God knew him – completely and intimately. He declared in Psalm 139:6 (MSG), “This is too much, too wonderful – I can’t take it all in!” He knew God, he had walked with Him for many years, yet it still amazed him that God knew him (and dare I say it?) that God still loved him. That ought to be the attitude of everyone who is living! God knows them, and He still loves them. He sees all, and He still loves them. He hears every word that comes out of their mouths, He even knows their thoughts, and He still loves them.

A person’s whole outlook on life will shift if it is seen through eyes of wonder and awe. Be intentional about seeing the glory all around. Be like a little child and be WOW’d by the beauty of the blessings from the Lord. Slow down. Breathe. Reflect. Appreciate the little things that the Father has given. And be grateful.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for choosing us to be Your image bearers. We come to You now because we realize we have distorted Your image. Help us to be intentional about seeking Your face and abundantly living out the lives You have given us. With joy. In peace. With thankful hearts. We want to be awed by the awesomeness of You so that we can share that with everyone we meet and show forth Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Reflection:

“The deepest longing of the human heart is to know and enjoy the glory of God. We were made for this.”

(John Piper)