When was the last time you felt . . . awe?
I have to say, it is a feeling I feel entirely too infrequently. Except for lately.
I’ve been slowly digesting J. Oswald Sanders’ book, The Incomparable Christ and every chapter has left me in awe! I think it’s because the 36 short chapters are ALL ABOUT JESUS, and I’ve realized that normally, I think about Him very little.
But this book has been changing that. I’ll admit, a lot of the stuff is mysterious and hard—no, really impossible—to understand. Things like the twofold nature of Christ . . . how He is both God and man simultaneously. But, hey, it’s important to think about because we’re getting to know a PERSON. We can’t truly worship Jesus if we don’t really know Him!
You should see my book. The margins are filled with exclamations of “wow!” and questions like “how?” Here’s a glimpse of some of the markings in my book:
Chapter 17, “The Humility of Christ”
Sanders: “In the words ‘I am meek and lowly in heart,’ Jesus gave us a glimpse into His inmost heart.”
Me: “Til I read this chapter, I guess I thought Jesus was humble to be an example to us; I didn’t really think of it as a glimpse into the inmost recesses of His heart. WOW.”Chapter 18, “The Serenity of Christ”
Me: “I think of serenity as the absence of problems. But Jesus models serenity at life’s most ‘squeezing moment.’ And I have found that even a cushy life—apart from Christ—can be utterly devoid of serenity."Chapter 19, “The Prayer Life of Christ”
Me: “I prayed against guilt before I started reading this chapter, ‘cause that’s what I feared. Instead, I finished in awe of Christ and inspired afresh to pray when work is overwhelming. I got down on my face and prayed right then.”Chapter 20, “The Soul-Anguish of Christ”
Me: “Wow. I thought Sanders began the chapter melodramatically, but I had no idea of the heart pain and turmoil Jesus experienced. Of course hell was at its strongest at this point. It sure puts my troubles/sorrows/emotions in perspective. I will never struggle alone as He did.”Me: “I also find it interesting how He prayed alone. If it were me, I’d have taken a nap, a bath, or eaten a feast, hoping it would lessen the soon-coming pain, and help me better bear it.”
Do I need to say more in order to convince you to get this book so you can get a fresh, concentrated taste of Him?
(Okay, I’ll say more.) I originally picked up this book because Nancy Leigh DeMoss is planning to teach through The Incomparable Christ on the radio starting on March 9. See, one year ago, in preparation for Easter, Nancy read this as a devotional book. She was so blessed from each of the daily readings, that she’s now encouraging women to purchase the book for themselves and read through it while she simultaneously teaches on the themes covered in this book.
We think you’ll benefit so much from this book that we want to give five of you a copy of this book at no cost. Post a comment by Friday morning telling us you want to read along with us for the 40 days leading up to Easter, and we’ll enter you in a random drawing. (You can also purchase a special Revive Our Hearts' edition of the book for $10 here.)
I read on Ann Voskamp’s blog recently that “When we are awed by something—we can’t help but pass it on. It’s our natural tendency. And if we are in awe of God—we become natural, unstoppable, top-notch teachers.”
Isn’t that cool? As you allow this book to spark fresh awe for Jesus in you, others will then catch a glimpse of Him, too!
PS: Nancy has been recording these "Incomparable Christ" radio programs over the past few weeks, and one of the women who attended a recording session wrote about it in her local paper. I thought some of you might want to read about her visit (and maybe even visit us yourself sometime soon!).
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