I was, last weekend, watching the Canadian Open (golf tournament), and it ended with this four-hole playoff between two players-it was very exciting. And the very last thing that happened was one of the players was very close, his ball was very close to the hole, and the other player was facing a 72-foot-long putt. And in a single stroke, he hit that ball, and that ball traveled 72 feet and went right into the cup, and he won the tournament. Twitter lit up!
Now, I am crazy enough, at that moment, to have thought of Psalm 29. Because the background of Psalm 29 is this, that God has hardwired us for awe. We love awesome things! We love when a tournament ends with something just unimaginable. We love the seven-layer chocolate cake. We love a dramatic piece of music, or a tremendous movie, or a great novel. We love the sizzle of a big steak. We love a beautiful sunset. We love the kiss of a human being on our cheek. We are hardwired for awe.
And the big question in life is: Awe of what will capture your heart and direct your life? That's the spiritual battle. There is a battle for awe in all of our lives. And Psalm 29 is about this:
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
It's just like the Psalmist is saying, "You want to be in awe of something? Be in awe of this!" And he just does this rant of the power and the glory of God.
What captures the awe of your heart? What gets you excited? What motivates your living? Ascribing to God the glory that is due his name is not just something you do with your mind but do with the way that you live your life.
Do you look for opportunities to point to the glory of God? Do you seek to live in a way that reflects his glory? Or do you live as a glory thief, trying to take glory to yourself.
God is glorious in strength, power, and authority. He's glorious in holiness all of the time, in every way. And he's glorious in grace, pouring out his strength into his people and giving them peace.
My prayer for myself and my prayer for you is that my life would be shaped, my heart would be ruled, by a deep, abiding, unshakeable awe of God - that awe of God would capture me and make me live for something way, way bigger than myself.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. What are some things in your life that bring you to a state of awe? Be specific as you consider those things through the five senses - taste, touch, sight, smell, and sounds - God has given you. Examine how you live your life and take inventory of the areas that motivate, excite, and inspire you. What captures the awe of your heart?
2. Why do you think it can be difficult for you to be in awe of and give glory to God when God is the One who deserves all of the awe and glory? Where are some specific areas in your life where you struggle try not rob God of the glory he alone deserves? Again, be specific and honest with God.
3. Now, take a moment and pray that your heart, thoughts, words, and actions would be a living reflection of someone who is captured by the glory of God. Pray that God would shape you each day into a person who is more and more in awe of him.
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children: What have you seen before that has made you say, "That's awesome!" How did you feel at that moment? What was going on in your mind and heart? Why do you think it was awesome? In what ways do you think God might be more awesome than that? If we don't live like God is more awesome than what we see and experience here on earth, what do you think we can change about ourselves to put God at the top of the "awesome list"? Let's take some time right now to pray that God would change our hearts to help us see Him as the most awesome thing in the universe.
For Older Children: What's the most awesome thing you've ever seen or experienced? What made it so awesome to you? What do you think it means to be in awe of something or someone? Have you ever found yourself in awe of God? If so, tell me about that experience. If not, why do you think you've never experienced awe of Him? Why do you think a lot of Christians don't live like God is the most awesome thing in the universe? How do you think you and I can make some intentional changes in order to live as if we truly believe God is awesome?
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