From Creation to the Creator: Where Your Awe Belongs

Have you ever been completely silenced by vast open spaces, a rugged expanse of red rock stretching out before you, or mountains that seem to extend to the heavens? Or perhaps you’ve watched a storm roll in over the ocean, feeling the raw power of the waves crashing against the shore? In those moments, did you feel small? Humbled? Amazed? 

That feeling isn’t random. It’s not a coincidence. It's leading somewhere. We are designed to feel this way. We are wired for awe.

Creation Speaks of God's Glory

Creation is undeniably awesome. God’s Word speaks of the remarkable ability of creation to testify about the greatness of God: 

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20). 

From the intricate veins of a single leaf to the sprawling galaxies spinning in the darkness, God didn't just make a functional world; He made a beautiful one. And He designed you—with your eyes, ears, and heart—to take it all in.

Don't Stop at the Gift

But here’s the thing, as amazing as creation is, it’s not the end of the story. There’s a danger in stopping there. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the beauty of the gift that we forget about the Giver. But we must keep the right mindset.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being (Revelation 4:11). 

All the glory belongs to God. Awe-inspiring aspects of creation are like street signs—they point to the destination but aren't the destination itself. Stopping there means missing the joy of what it reveals. The sign can never deliver what the place itself reveals.

When we let created things become the ultimate object of our affection, it’s like hugging the street sign. If awesome things in creation become our god, the God who created those things will not own our awe. We may be full of wonder, but empty of true satisfaction of the soul. Only Jesus can fill that void. 

Jesus: The One Who Fills the Soul

Awe first piqued my interest in Southern Utah, where the vast, otherworldly beauty left me seeking for deeper understanding. That search led me straight to the Creator, overwhelmed with gratitude for my relationship with God. Thank you, Jesus!

Jesus is the One who fills the soul. He is the ultimate source of life, purpose, and satisfaction (John 6:35). As you stand there, heart pounding at the beauty of the world, you must understand a crucial truth. All the beauty in the world was never intended to be the ultimate thing. It was not made to be the stopping place or the sustenance for our hungry hearts. 

No awesome thing in creation, no matter how spectacular, was meant to give us what only the Creator can give. It’s something I often think about as I have become more intentional about seeking out moments of awe in each day.

All Creation Points to Christ

Every jaw-dropping, knee-weakening, silence-producing, wonder-inspiring thing in this universe points to the Creator. Every mountain peak, every perfect melody, every moment of profound human connection—they are all signs. They are shouting to your soul, "Look! If this created thing is this beautiful, imagine the One who thought it up!"

As author Paul David Tripp explained in Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do:

Created awe has a purpose; it is meant to point you to the place where the awe of your heart should rest. If awesome things in creation become your god, the God who created those things will not own your awe. Horizontal awe is meant to do one thing: stimulate vertical awe (p. 21).

Creation ultimately points to Christ, as Colossians 1:16-17 reminds us: 

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible—all things have been created through him and for him.

Jesus isn’t just the Creator. He’s also the One who sustains all things. He’s the One who gives meaning to the beauty we see. And He’s the One who can fill the deepest longings of our hearts.

Let Awe Lead You to Worship

Here’s the challenge: let us be amazed. Go outside and look at the stars, the sky, or the clouds. Let the beauty of this world move us to tears. Whatever it is that moves you. Let the majesty of Creation drive us to our knees in worship of the Creator. And let the longing in our souls lead to Jesus, the only One who can truly satisfy. He's the only name. That is where our awe belongs, and that is the only place where our searching heart will find its home.