God is Truly Awesome in Every Sense!
Key Verse to Read and Treasure
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!” This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. (Genesis 28:16-17, ESV)
For Insight
When we describe or say something or someone is “awesome” we are usually implying or saying they or it are breathtaking, amazing, stunning, extremely impressive, inspiring great admiration, causing or inducing awe, evoking a feeling of reverence. Oddly enough awesome can also mean having apprehension or fear. Knowing this, it is perfectly appropriate to call upon or describe God as awesome. It would be befitting and lead us to obey his command to “fear and love him.”
Jacob had been asleep and in his dream the LORD spoke to him. It was a life-changing, soul and character transformative conversation. Jacob was going in a direction with his life and character God did not approve of. He had great things in planned for Jacob and they would not come to fruition if Jacob remained as he was.
When we ascribe the name or word awesome to God, we are not only describing Gods’ character, but his deeds, his works, his activity upon the earth and in the heavens, the times he ordains and the place we meet and experience Him. Jacob met God in Haran in a desolate spot he had stopped to rest for the night. You might remember Haran was the same place Abraham first heard and met God. As Jacob slept, he saw things he had never seen before and heard God speak to him in a way he had not heard before. By the time he awoke he knew he had had a God-encounter.
Reading about Jacob’s experience with the Almighty, Awesome God of heaven and earth can bring us to a new or renewed awareness of God’s promises, activities, the times He has ordained for us, and his beautiful Person also. We can look back, look around us and even look with great expectation to the future and declare just as Jacob “how awesome is this place!” how awesome is our God!
Praying Genesis 28:17
Great and awesome God there are not enough words in the dictionary or any language to describe how truly awesome You are! Thank You for blessing us with Yourself, for visiting us with awesome deeds, and creating awesome spaces where we encounter You in awesome ways. May we never tire of calling upon You or proclaiming You are an awesome God. Amen
Prayer Challenge
Write a prayer to God extoling His awesome character, works, timing, promises, or Person.
Digging Deeper
Devotionally Yours 