“You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.”

Psalm 65:5-8

awe

1: an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime.

The image above seems surreal and even magical to some degree. That object on the apex of the grassy mountain is a man. He is standing overlooking the Dolomites, a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. To get a true sense of how awesome this scene is, you would have to be there in person. Or, you can get a better idea by following THIS LINK and enlarging the image (looks better on a computer monitor or tv).

There are quite a number of things in this world that can “take our breath away.” And although some may include man-made objects, nothing compares to the wonders of nature itself. From conception to the vastness of the universe, the indescribable works of the Almighty God will forever be the epitome of awesomeness.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? ⁵You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

Psalm 8:3-6

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.

Psalm 105:2

Have you taken time out to explore and appreciate the natural world? I guarantee that even when experiencing a difficult time, your anxieties will melt away when you shift your focus from the problem(s) and fix your eyes on the wonders of Him who holds your life in His hands. That’s because in light of the unfathomable intricacies of life and the hope of eternity (the BIGGER picture), everything else is but a passing shadow.

Of course, troubles and heartbreaks are part of this world, but with the right attitude (frame of mind), they can be conduits to strengthen our faith and help us better appreciate the awesome creative power of God. Undoubtedly, this takes time, discipline, and above all, unwavering faith, especially in a world that is constantly tempting us to lose hope and compromise!

My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.

James 1:2-3

OK, so you may not be able to climb and see the Dolomites in person, enjoy a night of countless glimmering stars, or witness the breaking of a giant wave, but you can appreciate other natural beauties “In living color.” You can stop to smell a flower, watch and hear a bird chirp on a tree, or follow a morphing cloud. And if for some extraordinary reason you cannot witness any of those either, you can always resort to the technology you are now using to search the internet for “awesome nature.”

We should never allow our lives to become so busy that we take God’s awe-inspiring creation for granted. Nor deprive Him from the glory due to His name. As Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans…

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been created, so that people are without excuse.”

Romans 1:20

There is enough around us to declare the awesomeness of our God. Mankind has no excuse not to see and acknowledge Him through what He has made. He deserves not only our honor and praise, but most importantly, our sincere devotion. In the immenseness of his creation we can surrender our cares and be confident that He who spoke the world into existence can speak unfathomable peace into our souls. So, why don’t we get into the habit of admiring everything He created and regularly declare, “Lord, I stand in awe of You!”