The Passion of Job: Why Job suffered and what we can learn from it

Chapter 1: What is Awe?

Near the middle of the movie The Great Outdoors two brothers-in-law on vacation sit on the front porch of their mountain cabin looking out over a lake and the forest beyond. [Bob] (played by John Candy) sees a beautiful forest draped in a sunset that takes his breath away. He says he could just sit on that porch and drink in the beauty of the lake forever. [Tom] (played by Dan Ackroyd) sees a vast region of untapped resources—the potential for a hotel, a logging enterprise, and perhaps a mining company. He can not wait to begin to exploit the resources of the lake for his own gain. [Bob] is in awe of the lake, the forest, the whole scene; he sees something bigger than himself, something that feeds his soul. [Tom] just sees something he can control and use—water, wood and minerals that could only feed his pocketbook.

This simple conversation between two imaginary characters illustrates the progression of the church's attitude towards God. Like [Bob], the early church was in awe of God, overcome by the beauty of His creation and the power of His works. God inspired a sense of fear and wonder that permeated the church and the attitudes of believers. Believers spent time on their knees or even on their face before the Lord. The prayers of the early believers were more likely to praise God than to ask God for help. But too much of today's church is like [Tom], looking at God as a resource to exploit. It is not enough to just be in His presence; many are only satisfied when God solves a problem or meets a need. God is seen more as a helpful friend than as a [powerful creator]. Our familiarity with God has led to expectations: He will "perform" for us if we are "good." As a result, many prayers are centered on asking and very few are devoted to praise. The respect and reverence toward God displayed by the early church is disappearing.

These are strong words and this is a harsh view of today's church, but I do not take this position as an outsider. I was like [Tom]—falling, without noticing it, into the trap of viewing God first as a resource and only second as a powerful creator. Only after a long and repeated study of the book of Job did I realize that my view of God was inadequate and distorted. Although I had learned about God and grown as a believer over the years, I needed to rediscover my own sense of awe and wonder. I needed to remind myself that no matter how much I studied the Word, no matter how much I learned about God, He still remained a mystery. This book is the result of that quest, which, by the way, is on-going. .

What is Awe?

The first step on this journey is to understand what awe is and why it is important in our relationship with God. Although you know it when you feel it, awe is beyond words. It is the feeling you get on a cool crisp evening when you sit quietly and watch the sun paint the sky as it sets. It is the feeling you get when you stand outside at night and gaze up at the stars. It is the feeling you get when you first fall in love, when your first child is born, when you first come to Christ. It is that sense of wonder that occurs when you face beauty and majesty beyond your comprehension. Coming from the depth of your soul, it is your response to the unexplainable. It is a curious mixture of conflicting emotions: You feel insignificant yet part of something great, fearful yet joyful, unsettled yet at peace.

I live in a part of the United States which is surrounded by natural beauty. The Pacific Northwest is blessed with abundant outdoor resources close to its cities. When I go camping or hiking I see the surroundings much like the Candy character. I especially enjoy lying out at night and starring up to the heavens. Without the interference of city lights, the sky is full of stars. I become immersed in the beauty and wonder of it all. Looking up at that vast expanse of pin point lights against a jet black background I realize that I am just a small spark of life on a little insignificant planet on the edge of a galaxy of millions of stars. Yet at the same time I feel like I am part of something so much larger. I am part of the family of God. I am of child of the God that created all that I see. That is awe.