Do you experience awe and amazement every day? According to Paul, living in wonder of God’s glory should be an ongoing experience:
We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
So why don’t we experience God’s glory all the time? Paul Tripp explains:
You and I were created to live our lives in the shadow of awe. Every word we speak, every action we take, every decision we make, and every desire we entertain was meant to be colored by awe. We were meant to live and minister with eyes gazing upward and outward. We were meant to live with hearts that are searching, hungry, seeking satisfaction, and being satisfied. Bad things happen when we look around and nothing impresses us anymore.
Sins rob that sense of divine wonder meant to shape every person’s life and every pastor’s ministry. When it does, you look for ways to fill the void. Now think about it: if you are not getting your wonderment vertically—that is, from the Creator—then you will look for it somewhere in the creation. You will be shopping for the buzz of wonder where it simply cannot be found. Your friends and family cannot give you the awe you seek. That new restaurant will blow you away, but it won’t introduce you to the heart-satisfying wonder of God. That new car will make you happy for a while, but it doesn’t have the capacity to fill your soul with glory. That certain ministry success will not satisfy your heart.
“Truly God is good to Israel.” (Psalm 73:1)
The Psalmist here gets at the dilemma in a single word: good. You’re looking for pure, unadulterated, imperishable, unending, and unfailing good, because you’re wired that way. You’re looking for the kind of good that can lift you out of your boredom and quiet your longings. And that good can only be found one place: God.
God is good in every possible way. He is good in righteousness. He is good in power. He is good in grace. He is good in his faithfulness. He is good in mercy. He is good in holiness. He is good in justice. He is good in his rule. All his words are good and true. All his actions are good and right. When he is angry, he is good. When he preserves life, he is good. When he takes life, he is good. When his words are hard, they are good. When his words are gentle, they are good. His promises are good. His provisions are good. His plan is good. In all of the universe, you can only say this about God: he is good all the time and in every way.
Think about it. The One who is the sum and definition of all that is truly good has placed his goodness on people like you and me, people who get numbed by busyness and familiarity. Now that’s a reason for AWE!