Awe and Wonder (Friday Devotional)

 

“Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”

- Exodus 15:11

This week, most of us stayed home as much as possible. With snow falling, a solid layer of ice on the roads, and temperatures below freezing, nobody wanted to get out unless it was absolutely necessary. Well, no adult, anyway.

My kids, on the other hand—like a lot of kids, based on local news footage—were ready to head outside the moment they woke up on Tuesday morning. Undeterred by the temperatures, impatient with the need to bundle up, and oblivious to parental caution, they raced outdoors as soon as we let them, eager to explore the backyard that had become a winter wonderland overnight. The same weather that was an inconvenience for us adults was a wonder for them.

It seems to me that as we get older, we lose our capacity for awe. Things that once made us gasp with glee illicit shrugs now that we’re grown. The willingness to be amazed—or at least to show our amazement—fades, overwhelmed by the perceived need to look unflappable.

But in the presence of almighty God, awe is the only appropriate response. The holiness of the Lord is unlike anything we can imagine; his power is beyond all measure. And to think that such an awesome God would deign to love us—how can we fail to worship?

For a child, creation never ceases to amaze. For everyone, the same ought to be true for the Creator.