This is a new project that I feel God is leading me into. It's an exploration of the Scriptures through song. Basically, I'm picking hymns and other songs of worship that touch my heart and allowing God to lead me into the deeper truthes that He has hidden there for me, and perhaps for you as well. We'll see where this journey goes. Here's my first one.
I Stand in Awe
You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty enthroned above.
And I stand; I stand, in awe of you.
I stand; I stand in awe of you.
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of you.
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Ephesians 3:12)
I often find myself at a loss for words when I begin to think of God’s majesty. It’s simply too much for me to fathom. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I realize that is a colossal understatement. God’s majesty is beyond unfathomable to me. I look at a sunset and find myself speechless. Mountains make my heart stop. A sky full of stars sends my head spinning. And that’s only the creation! How can I even begin to imagine the Creator? How powerful? How magnificent? How breathtaking is our God? Dare I go on to consider His divine character? Dare I even attempt to wrap my mind around His wisdom or His love, the very things that make God… well, God?
When I consider it all, even though I am only scratching the surface, I find that I wonder just like the Psalmist: “What is man that you are mindful of Him?” Even now, I can feel myself shrinking, utterly dwarfed by God’s majesty. How could I possibly mean anything to Him, the ruler of all creation? Still, the God of the universe is not only mindful of me; He does not merely acknowledge my existence with a flippant nod of His crowned head. On the contrary, He cares deeply for me. All through Scripture both in the Old and New Testaments, God reveals His desire to make me His own. “Who can fathom the depth of [that] love?” My only reaction is to fall on my face in worship. I cannot hold my head up in the presence of so magnificent a God. And so one word in the song catches me off guard: Stand. “I stand in awe of you.” I wonder how it is possible to stand in the presence of God. I know I am not worthy.
I’m suddenly reminded of a time so long ago when I found myself face down in worship. It was one of the most spectacular moments of my Christian walk. I could see the throne of God before me, and I knelt at the feet of the One who reigns. My tears flowed as I repented and shrank before Him. I could not bring myself to look at Him for fear that He would see everything that I had been trying for so long to hide. Still, I could not leave His presence. Then He gently reached down and lifted my chin so that our eyes met. Slowly, He lifted me to my feet, telling me that I no longer needed to bow before His throne; I could stand now, for I had been covered in the blood of the Lamb. His words touched the deepest part of my soul that day and brought a new healing. In Christ, the King became a Father, one that not only acknowledged me and cared for me, but one that I could approach with confidence, one that I could stand before. Our God sits enthroned in majesty, but that throne is one of grace. So may those of us who have experienced the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus allow ourselves to come face to face with the indescribable beauty of God, and may we lift our heads, look into the Father’s loving eyes and stand in awe of Him, His power, His majesty, His wisdom, His compassion, and His grace.
