As a parent, I have experienced this dilemma far too often. The children become hyper-focused on one topic, getting a pet, any pet. Oh, please, not this again! Now the type of pet has run the whole gambit variety-wise: rabbits, hamsters, fish, ferrets (ewww, smelly), crabs (also smelly), stray dogs, and homeless kittens. If we had adopted all of them at the same time, we could have easily opened our own nature reserve and charged admission. To their credit, my children all had huge, tender, animal-loving hearts and were naturally drawn to those little critters. But in spite of that love, those newly-acquired pets would lose their luster in a relatively short time span. Somewhere along the line, what was enjoyment became a chore, the attention lavished on the new little addition faded, interest waned, that awe-factor was gone. It wasn’t malicious, they were just being normal kiddos. It was then that Mom and Dad gently had to remind them that these pets were special living creatures and deserved their care, attention, and love.
Unfortunately, as Christians, we are also prone to lose the awe if we are not vigilant. We hear message upon message involving the wonder of the God we serve. We sing the choruses, hymns, and songs and often find ourselves distracted, glossing over those lyrics that should be drawing our hearts into worship. We hear salvation’s story repeated weekly, and as the agony of Calvary and the victory of the empty tomb replay in our mind, that glorious story of mercy and grace unintentionally loses its wonder.
The mighty King David reminds us in Psalm 4 to “Stand in awe!” We serve the “…king of glory,” “clothed with majesty,” “glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders,” “…high above the nations, and his glory above the nations.” He is Creator, holding the universe together by the strength of his arm; all the beauty bathing the world around us was authored by Him, nations and kingdoms are under His control, and one day all creation will bow the knee before His throne. He grants us access through the Holy Spirit to His inspired Word. May our hearts always repeat the words of the psalmist when he declares “…my heart standeth in awe of thy word.”
If you are losing the awe, reverently read aloud a worship psalm, and “Stand in awe” in the presence of the glorious God we serve. Spend a moment today at the foot of the cross, or at the threshold of that empty tomb, praising Him for the sacrifice offered in your stead, that glorious plan of salvation engraved on the pages of His wondrous Book. Join me as I sing a song of praise to the One Who is worthy of all my awe: I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned, unclean.
Psalm 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Lord, help me when I become complacent concerning You. Help me to always live a life of gratitude, humility, and wonder. Never let me lose the awe of salvation’s story.