Can you imagine what it was like walking in the Garden of Eden every day, with the Creator of it all – with God?!
I love being in nature and observing the majesty of God’s creation. It brings me to tears and swells my heart to overflowing joy.
I find myself saying, “Wow, God,” or “Oh, my, this is so awesome, God.”
I love the words of David in Psalm 65: 5-8:
5 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,
6 who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy. NIV
Scripture is filled with “Wow, God” words.
Creating His earth was the blank canvas He designed with the desire to give us a beautiful gift of His love. I do burst out in signing:
“Filled with wonder – awestruck wonder at the mention of Your name. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, God Almighty who was and is and is to come. With all creation I sing praise to the King of Kings.”
I am sure you recognize these words from Revelation Song, Jeannie Lee Riddle) which is one of my favorites.
We are alive as part of His magnificent creation. This world may be fallen, but it still holds awe-inspiring glimpses and gifts of God’s greatness.
We can have “Wow, God” experiences every day. We just must learn to STILL ourselves and open our eyes to receive the wonder.
Whether you are reading this blog as your day begins or right before bed at night, consider your experiences for the day. What did you do? Where did you see God’s wonder? When could you have stopped in your day to say, “Wow, God”?
I will go first. Starting the first day of this new year, my husband and I got up early (we did not stay up to see it) and began a driving adventure through parts of our beautiful state.
We picked up breakfast at Jack’s, drove down by the lake, and were awed by the numerous White Pelicans who stopped in for a visit. This was just the beginning of seeing many of God’s created creatures. Did you know a group of pelicans is called a pod? Actually, there are many other names – a pouch, a scoop, a squadron, or if they are fishing, a fleet. This was a fleet!
We then drove to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge to observe the Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes that totally invade during their winter migration. God really showed out with thousands of these birds for our viewing pleasure. Refuge officials estimate between 14 to 15 thousand bird visits during the month of January.
Our day brought us back home for lunch, and we were blessed to see a Northern Flicker or Woodpecker sitting on our bird feeder, just pecking away. I had prayed all the way home for the Lord to let me see something special at my house, and He gifted me with this sight, which I have not observed in years. He is our Alabama State Bird!
That afternoon, we drove to the State Park in hopes of seeing Bald Eagles, but to no avail. What we were given instead was a herd of Deer all along the roadway. We estimated seeing at least thirty. The very next day, we glimpsed a Bald Eagle flying over our house. Do we serve an awesome God?
Wow, God! Thank you for the beauty we were privileged to behold.
So, how do we live in awestruck wonder?
Be Intentional
Still yourself from the worldly grind. Let’s be real. Life is not always too exciting; sometimes, we get trapped in the mundane routine of everyday activities. But even on seemingly boring days, we wake up in a world filled with God’s glory.
Be Aware
Many times, we miss a “wow” because we simply are not looking for or expecting God to send us a special message from His creation. I think Adam and Eve were allowed to talk to the animals they encountered. (A snake talking to me would make me run!) Remember, these experiences are being sent to you as a message from a Father who knows you personally and is madly in love with you. Look for them in the smallest of things.
Be in Practice
To be in awe of something, you must be aware that you did not author it, whether it is an amazing flock of birds or a freshwater Bryozoan (a friend sent me a picture of these she discovered in the lake as I am writing this). Awe is a response to the miracle of all things created by a miraculous Creator. To practice this response, you can start with sunrises and sunsets. Eventually, even a freshwater jellyfish that is about the size of a penny will evoke awe: “(These can be found in most lakes in Alabama).
So, how can we be awe-inspired? We can change the attitude or posture of our hearts so that we walk in reverence of His power and sovereignty.
He is crazy good at using simple moments to remind you of His power and glory. He sends divinely timed “Wow. God” moments that refresh our souls and help us remember that living in awe of God brings an abundance of peace and joy.
God designed us for wonder and awe!
My Prayer
“Dear Jesus, thank you for making a way for us to be in daily relationship with the Creator of all, the sovereign God, Your Father, and ours. Help us to be more intentional in our daily walk ‘to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God”. Thank you, God, for creating us with the capacity to appreciate the awesome world You designed just for us.”
Rebekah Marsh
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#rebekahmarshblogs
FYI:
So, what are they? Bryozoans are sessile filter-feeding animals despite their resemblance to some algae. Their name, bryozoan, translates from Latin as “moss animal.” There are over 4,000 species found worldwide, with about 50 species living solely in freshwater. We have these living things in our lake.