Janet and I have been talking lately about things that have really turned our heads – the kind of thing that we refer to as “the wow factor”. Generally, these really cause us to do a double-take. You know, a stunning piece of jewelry, a wonderful garden, a great meal or a beautiful home… And lately, we visited the home of friends that really had numerous “wow” factors. An elegant staircase, a magnificent kitchen and many other features that we are still talking about. Now while it is true that our home is a much different style, and we really don’t have any overt “wow” factors of our own, we really appreciate how other people decorate and the choices they make to express themselves.
Now here and there, we have been adding things to our own home and recently we decided to purchase a piece of furniture that arrived last week-end. Unfortunately, it had a “wow” factor, but not the kind of thing that we were looking for. Oh, we did a double-take all right, but it was because we couldn’t believe the poor choice that we had made! Thankfully, we don’t have to live with the decision and next week we will have the offending piece of furniture picked up…
But I got to thinking about “wow” factors and how we order our lives to make an impression on others. While I can think of many times that I have tried to impress others with the purchases that I have made, I am quick to acknowledge that there have been many times in my life when I have been “wowed” beyond belief. And you know what? Those times are when I have observed the hand of God at work.
I can’t even begin to tell you the times that I have been totally surprised by something orchestrated by God. Either a miracle in the working or more times than not, the magnificence of God’s creation. Recently, Janet and I were at the Greenbrier in West Virginia and enjoyed the simple beauty of a stream. And then I actually caught a number of rainbow trout and couldn’t believe the subtlety of their coloring and the almost luminescent glow that they had. What a wonderful surprise. Or how about waking up in the morning after a fresh snow has covered the ground? Or a trip out west to see the Rocky Mountains or the Grand Canyon?
It’s tough to deny that God has filled out lives with “wow” factors everywhere we look. We just have to be attuned to His work and the things that He wants us to notice. Not only nature, but the plight of people around us and the opportunity we have to help others.
The verse for this evening celebrates the awesome nature of God – some of the things that just cause us to shake our heads and utter that one word – WOW! In the book of Job, God enters into a conversation with Job about the beginnings of creation. Job is in the process of confronting God and the Father is responding with a series of questions for Job. We are told, in Job 38:34-38, “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together?”
I don’t know about you, but many people have never even considered some of these questions – and the obvious response to all of them is “wow.” Yes, God is awesome. My encouragement this evening is that God wants you to be in awe of Him. After all, everything in the heavens and earth has been created by Him. My prayer is that you will take a little time and consider the “wow” factor of God. Because he is deserving of all the worship and adoration we can think of and nothing man has ever done can even begin to compare. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…