God is awesome

I read this blog post on our Pastor's blog this week, and thought I would share it with you! It is something I have never thought about before...hope you enjoy it!

March 15, 2010

God is Awesome

A few weeks ago, I did something I don’t usually do on the short drive from our church office back to where I live… I turned on the radio.

I won’t mention the station (in order to protect the guilty), but in the three minutes when I was listening, I heard the program host use the word “awesome” roughly 38 times (I don’t want to be accused of exaggeration, so I’m conservatively low-balling here).

Here’s how it went: “That song was awesome!” “I heard an awesome quote this week… isn’t that just awesome?” I had an awesome steak last night and it was awesome! I mean, awesome!” “Hello caller! It’s awesome to hear from you today! Are you having an awesome day?”

After about three minutes of this, I had to turn the radio off. I became weary of hearing the word “awesome” used so many times and so flippantly.

Aside from the tedium of repetition, I think there’s a deeper concern that bothers me. It is the fact that “awesome” is such a superlative word that it only rightly applies to God and His works. God is awesome! And the works of God are also truly awesome!

The song you hear may be melodic, inspiring, and perhaps even beautiful, but it isn’t awesome. A quote may be insightful, but it isn’t awesome. And your steak, however well prepared, may be great and delicious, and even succulent… but it isn’t awesome. God is awesome.

Scripture is teeming with the awesomeness of God:

“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11

“Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies come cringing to You.” Psalm 66:3

“Awesome is God from His sanctuary; the God of Israel — He is the one who gives power and strength to His people. Blessed be God!” Psalm 68:35

“For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord; a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around Him?” Psalm 89:7

There are many other Scripture texts extolling the superlative awesomeness of our God! The late Rich Mullins was right: “Our God is an awesome God!”

Perhaps I’m expecting too much when I turn on the radio in rush-hour traffic. Rather than trying to re-educate the hosts on radio programs, the better option may be to simply keep the radio off and get back to praying to our awesome God on the way back home.

Yours for His glory,
Pastor Kevin