by Pastor Rich Carlson         

I had to stop this morning and ask myself, When was the last time I was wowed by the awesomeness of God? As I was reading more about the life of Abraham, I was struck by what it must have been like to be directly in the presence of God. Abraham had that opportunity. God spoke directly to Him. They discussed life; they made plans; they established covenants; they were one-on-one. Now think about Abraham's reaction. The text says that he "fell on his face and worshipped.”         

I appreciate the emphasis on the personal relationship with Jesus, and I have found solace in the image of a loving "Abba" (the Greek word that is kind of like our word “Daddy”). But I think I have sometimes missed, in my excitement for the personal, the opportunity to be exhilarated by the profound. I like knowing that Jesus is my personal friend and that He loves and cares for me. I like the assurance that God is not some arbitrary dictator, but I had to ask myself today if I may have sometimes exchanged the majesty of the Almighty for the manifestation of the all-loving.         

A favorite song reminds me of the awesome experience of meeting God face-to-face. Here’s the text:   

Surrounded by Your glory,   

What will my heart feel?   

Will I dance for you Jesus,   

Or in awe of you be still?   

Will I stand in your presence,   

Or to my knees will I fall?   

Will I sing, “Hallelujah”?   

Will I be able to speak at all?   

I can only imagine!         

I don't know what it will be like to meet God, but I do know something about the times I have been wowed by God, and the impact those experiences have had on my life. I do know that when I come into His sanctuary and close my eyes in worship, and just sing or pray or think or ponder the presence of God, that it is a nearly heart-stopping experience.

And when I go out at night and imagine how big the universe is, or look through a microscope and realize how small its individual parts are, those are breathtaking moments too.   

Imagine what it would be like to be in the actual presence of God. Take time to do that. Then realize that, in fact, you are in His presence. That will change your life, and you will have worshipped!

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. "God is Faithful" is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.