In Awe

[From 3/21/09]

"But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you."

(Psalm 5:7)

"What a Friend We Have in Jesus," "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," "He Walks with Me and He Talks with Me"... these are all hymns (or chorus' of hymns) that espouse the divine/human intimacy that's possible. There's a lot of comfort in knowing that aspect of God.

But there's another aspect that is recorded far more often in the Bible: awe! God is so amazing! The psalmist speaks about this when he bows down before the Lord in awe, inside the temple.

To be honest, I'm not usually filled with an overwhelming sense of awe in most worship spaces here in the US. They're more build to engender intimacy. Visiting the European cathedrals, however, evokes more awe, in my opinion. Being outdoors in the grandeur of nature also definitely evokes awe in me! I'm completely taken aback by the beauty of God's creation. But recently in the Philippines, in a tiny room singing praise songs, I found myself overcome with awe as I reflected on the incredible faith & hope I'd experienced among the people I'd met there. Standing in that conference room in Manila, with tears running down my cheeks, I literally felt like falling to the ground and bowing my face before the Lord.

I don't want to abandon the intimacy and friendship aspect of my relationship with God. Not at all. But I know I could use more experiences of awe, too.

PRAYER: You are holy, Lord. You are the Almighty. You are the Author and CReator of All Life. You are God and I am not. And yet, You love me nontheless. Help m e to fall down on my face from time to time, filled with awe for your majesty! AMEN.