Some time ago, I telephoned a business establishment seeking information about… (While writing this article, I can’t seem to remember who I called or why I called them.) I asked my question to the person who answered the telephone and was quickly placed on hold until a more knowledgeable individual could help me.
During the few minutes that I was holding, I listened to some “while you are waiting on hold” background music. This particular background music was actually a radio station that featured country music. Apparently a trivia question had been posed to the radio audience just prior to the “holding song” that I heard. At the conclusion of the song, the disc jockey (DJ) congratulated a young lady named Nicole for winning the prize.
As I continued to listen (and hold), I came to realize that the prize was a Wynona (I assume Wynona Judd) baseball cap. Nicole’s response was “Awesome! That’s pretty cool! Awesome! I’ve never won anything before.”
Often during the course of a day or week, I will hear folks refer to something, someone, or some experience as “Awesome!” I don’t usually think too much about their expression but Nicole’s perspective on a simple baseball cap caused me to reflect on the word “Awesome.” A dictionary definition of “Awesome” is “something that inspires awe.” I looked up the word “awe” and found that this word means “an overwhelming sense of reverence, respect or fear.”
In my humble estimation, a baseball cap that promotes a country music star falls short of being awe-inspiring. On the other hand, however, the God who we worship and serve should be awe-inspiring. A brief reading of several of the Psalms helps us to focus on our awesome God. For instance,
“Our Lord, you are King! Majesty and power are your royal robes. You put the world in place, and it will never be moved. You have always ruled, and you are eternal. The ocean is roaring, Lord! The sea is pounding hard. Its mighty waves are majestic, but you are even more majestic, and you rule over all” (Psalm 93:1-4, CEV). The psalmist also declared, “The Lord is the greatest God, king over all gods. He holds the deepest part of the earth in his hands, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The ocean is the Lord’s because he made it and with his own hands he formed dry land” (Psalm 95:3-5). The awesome nature of God is presented in Deuteronomy 10:17 as “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring (awesome) God…” (CSB). The awesomeness of our God is expressed further in a song by Kirk Franklin, “Our God is an awesome God. He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love. Our God is an awesome God!” Somehow, baseball caps and everything else pale in comparison to our God who is awesome and almighty!Dear Heavenly Father, you alone are worthy of our admiration and praise because you alone are truly awesome, inspiring awe and deserving of our reverence! Thank you for reigning with wisdom, power, and love…the kind of love presented on the cross where your only Son died for sinful folks like me. Thank you for being AWESOME! Amen. Daniel
