By Chuck Bentley

The word awesome means overwhelming reverence, admiration, or fear.

Jacob was the first to use this word in the Bible in Genesis 28:16-17:

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!’

The Bible places an exclamation point after this phrase, so I don’t think Jacob used “awesome” in a tone like my kids might say when they are bored and want me to move on in the conversation. No, I think being in the presence of God Almighty took Jacob’s breath away. I think he was catching his breath and saying, “How Awesome is this place!” Wow! He was electrified, stunned, shocked, moved to the core of his being.

That’s why I don’t use the word for a new pair of shoes or when I get a bonus or to describe a vacation or when I watch someone make a buzzer shot to win a game. Those things don’t take my breath away. They might be impressive or make me glad or bring me joy, but that is not on par with an encounter with God Almighty, Jehovah Jireh, the Bright and Morning Star, the Alpha and Omega, the great I AM.

So today, I want to encourage you to have an encounter with the living God as you work through your financial challenges. Seek Him, read His Word, fast and pray in secret. Ask for His help. Knock on His door—persistently, faithfully. And persevere. When He intervenes, I hope it will take your breath away. Not because you got out of debt or paid off the student loan or put more savings in the bank, but because He was present in the details of your life. When that happens, call me or write me, and then you can say, “Truly…how awesome was that!”

Originally posted 7/1/2015.