Awe in the Chaos

Have you ever stood at the bottom of a Ferris wheel?Your eyes tilt back, your stomach flips, and you suddenly feel so small. Its beams stretch wider than a car, its height dizzying. And all you can whisper is: “WOW.”

That’s awe. And I think we forget what awe feels like!

Now magnify that feeling. Imagine a forest of cedars so massive that when one fell, its stump was wide enough for people to gather inside and share a meal together. Can you picture that? Sitting with friends, food laid out, in the hollow base of what once towered into the sky. These were the cedars of Lebanon — living monuments of strength, endurance, and majesty. Kings built temples and palaces with them. People looked at them and thought: “Nothing could ever move this.”

But Psalm 29 says this:“The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.” (v.5)

Even the strongest thing people could see splinters at His word.

His Voice Over the Waters

David doesn’t stop at trees. His psalm thunders with storm imagery:

• “The voice of the Lord is over the waters.” (v.3)

• “The God of glory thunders.”

• “The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.” (v.7)

• “The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness.” (v.8)

In Scripture, the waters often symbolize chaos, destruction, and fear. Think of how you feel when life is spinning out of control — that’s the image God’s people had of the sea. Yet over and over the Bible shows us: the waters are not sovereign. They exist under God’s command.

• Genesis 1:2 — “The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” From the beginning, chaos bowed to Him.

• Job 38:8–11 — God sets the boundary: “This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt.”

• Psalm 89:9 — “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them.”

• Isaiah 51:10 — “Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?”

• Jeremiah 10:13 — “When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens.” The idols of the nations are powerless, but the true God commands creation.

• Revelation 21:1 — John saw “a new heaven and a new earth… and the sea was no more.” Chaos will one day be gone for good.

The message? The waters may roar, but they are never sovereign.

At His word the flood came — and at His word it receded.At His word the Red Sea split. At His word the Jordan River stopped flowing. At His word, Jesus said, “Peace, be still!” and the storm obeyed.

Chaos may terrify us, but it always bows to Him.

Why Do We Doubt?

And here’s where it hits home: if His voice can shatter giant trees and calm raging seas, then why do we doubt hearing Him? Why do we feel so tossed about, like ships without an anchor?

Maybe it’s because we’ve forgotten how to live in the now with Him.

Psalm 34:8 says: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” That’s not just pretty poetry. That’s an invitation to pause, to breathe, to actually look around and realize: I am covered in the arms of my Savior right now.

When you do that — when you taste instead of skim, when you step under His refuge instead of just reading about it — you’re activating the Holy Spirit. You’re not just saying words. You’re experiencing His presence. And in that moment, the doubt begins to break.

Why We Lose Our Awe

But let’s be real: we forget awe. We acclimate to the noise. We scroll and stress and overthink until God’s presence feels drowned out.

The chaos of the world is always loud. And the world will always say chaos wins. But Psalm 29 flips that script: God is over it all. His voice reigns. His word sustains. His presence steadies.

Faith We Already Practice

Here’s the irony: you already practice faith every single day without realizing it.

• You drive through a green light, trusting the other side is red.

• You sit in a chair without checking its screws. (I’ve done this — once the screw was missing, and I nearly went flying! )

If we can trust stoplights, and chairs — fragile human systems — why do we hesitate to trust the God who commands seas and storms?

The Waters and the Seasons Preach to Us

The waves don’t just crash — they echo His voice. Every crash says: “This far and no farther.”

The crisp fall air isn’t just weather — it’s His breath filling your lungs. Every season shift preaches His faithfulness.

Creation itself is a pulpit. Every wave, every breeze, every breath reminds us: God’s voice still reigns.

Faith in the Middle of Trouble

Jesus said it straight:“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Trouble is real. Pain is real. Chaos is real. But His authority is greater.If He can break cedars, silence seas, and shake deserts, He can step into your storm too.

This doesn’t erase your suffering, but it reframes it. Life feels endless, but compared to eternity, it’s just a dot. The pain is heavy, but it is not forever.

Let’s Get Our Awe Back

So pause with me.

• When was the last time a sunset made you stop in your tracks?

• When was the last time you let the crash of waves remind you of His power instead of just background noise?

• When was the last time you whispered “thank You” with fall air in your lungs?

Psalm 29 ends like this:“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” (vv.10–11)

Floods rise. Storms shake. But He is still enthroned.

A Prayer for Awe in the Chaos

Father,Forgive me for forgetting awe. For letting loud voices drown out Your thunder. For rushing past the now instead of tasting and seeing that You are good.

Today, I open the door of my heart — even just a crack. Cover me with Your refuge like arms around a child. Help me not just to read Your word but to taste it, to see it, to breathe it in until it becomes life in me.

Break my cedars. Still my waters. Speak into my storm.

I trust You, Lord.

Amen.

Final Word

The Ferris wheel. The cedars. The waters. The fall air.All of them point to one truth: God’s voice is stronger than our chaos.

The world may say chaos wins. But Scripture declares: at His voice, seas split, storms still, giants fall, and creation bows.

So why do we doubt? Maybe because we skim instead of tasting. Maybe because we forget His arms in the now moment.

Friend — don’t lose your awe. Look up. Listen. Taste. See. His voice is still speaking.