Stand in Awe

"So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the one who gave it all. I'll stand, my soul Lord to you surrender. All I am is yours."
Ever been in awe? I mean, its not a phrase we use a lot these days. In fact, I feel like we've lessened the meaning and impact of this word by carelessly saying that something is "awesome". Seriously, we say things as pointless as a burger is "awesome". Ok, I understand its just a word and just something we say to say that something is really good...but have you ever realized that this word, "awesome", is one of the words the Bible uses to describe our God!
So, what does "awe" mean? Ok this is so cool...listen to this...awe is literally an emotion variously combining DREAD, VENERATION, and WONDER that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime! How crazy cool is that? so when you say "oh that taco was awesome", you're really saying..."oh that taco brought me dread, veneration, and wonder"...doesn't seem so fitting anymore does it? That's what I'm saying! Ecclesiastes 5:7 says "Therefore stand in awe of God." I love that. So simple a command, yet we have no idea how to do that. So you ask..How? First of all, dread basically means fear...so fear God. Not a bad fear, a good fear. A reverent fear. Second of all, allow yourself to be venerated by God. This means to respect God because of his dignity, wisdom, and power. Third, well...wonder...its kind of self-explanatory. Wonder is an emotion that basically means to be inspired, surprised. Look around you...if being surrounded by God's creation isn't enough to send you into a constant state of wonder, I don't know what is. Read Job 38-41. I know that after I read this passage, I was knocked off my feet at the amazing, unfathomable greatness of my God. Job's response after all this is enough to make me laugh...he says "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." That, my friends, is what it means to stand in awe. When we finally come to the realization that God is God and we are not. That he runs the universe. That he knew us before we were born. That he can call each and every person on earth by name. Are you standing in awe yet? I know I am. Are you still saying that burger you had for lunch is "awesome"? I would hope not.
So, the whole point of this mumbo jumbo is to get the point across that we, as God's beautiful creations, must stand in awe of our creator. If you do this, I promise you that your eyes will be opened to a new greatness about God that you've never seen before. "Therefore stand in awe of God."