As a young adult today, that simple truth still lingers with me. Our God is the only one who is awesome, the only one who is worthy of praise.
Those who know me know I get pretty excited about the arts or the beauty of God's creation. The first time I glimpsed the mountains of Colorado, I would not stop saying things such as,
"This is incredible!"
"This is so beautiful!"
"This is so awesome," much to the chagrin of my childhood friend, John.
I cannot tell you how many times Nathan, my churches Young Adult Minister, has heard me go on and on about the creativity of directors and cinematographers in films and television over coffee. I have used the word "awesome" more times than I will ever be able to number.
But do I tell God how awesome He is as much as I do cinema? Do I talk about with others how awesome and majestic our Lord is with the same fervor as I do the arts and nature? If I were to self-analyze, the answer would most likely be no.
I remember when I was younger and living at home in Pearland. I would find something new, interesting, or exciting, and I would exclaim,
"This is just awesome! Mom! Dad! Look at this awesome new *insert song, school lesson, artwork, or book that I found here.*"
My parents would always explore the thing I had discovered with me, but my Dad would always lovingly rebuff me. He would say,
"Now son, this is neat, but there is only One who is worthy to be described as 'awesome' and that is our Lord."
As a young adult today, that simple truth still lingers with me. Our God is the only one who is awesome, the only one who is worthy of praise. For who or what is like the Lord our God as it says in Psalm 113?
Hallelujah!
Give praise, servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
let the name of the Lord be praised.
The Lord is exalted above all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God—
the one enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the trash heap
in order to seat them with nobles—
with the nobles of his people.
He gives the childless woman a household,
making her the joyful mother of children.
Hallelujah!
There is nothing that comes close to the Lord Almighty! The beauty that is in the earth is only the tiniest glance of the majesty of the Lord. He is the only one who is worthy of that adjective - "awesome." It is His glory that fills the whole earth and heavens.
There is a song written by Maverick City Music, and recently arranged by the Worship Initiative titled "Such An Awesome God." The words of the chorus simply say this -
Such an awesome God
So mighty
So holy
So wonderful
Such an awesome God
So selfless
So generous
So faithful, You are
May I repeat these words forever unto Him!
I encourage any who read this blog to think on these things with me:
Who or what am I worshipping? Is there anything I am putting before the Lord? May we not be tempted to worship creation, but to always worship the Creator who is awesome!
If you have time today, take a listen to the song I mentioned before and spend some time telling Jesus just how awesome He is!
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Grace & peace,
Mathew Hurst
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