UECF.NET study companion — original commentary, not the book's own text.
Tozer turns to the element of holy astonishment — the sense of wonder that overtook Isaiah in the temple and Moses at the burning bush. True worship, he argues, is never merely cognitive; it begins in being genuinely amazed by who God is. Familiarity with religious routine can dull this capacity for wonder until God becomes ordinary to us, which is itself a kind of tragedy.
The chapter calls for a recovered sense of the numinous — approaching God's presence as holy ground, taking off our sandals, so to speak, rather than walking in casually. This is not about manufacturing a feeling; it is about clearing away the familiarity that keeps us from seeing God as He actually is.
Key points
- Wonder, not mere information, is often where real worship begins (Isaiah 6:1–5).
- God's presence is holy ground; casualness can crowd out reverence (Exodus 3:1–6).
- Familiarity with religious things can quietly dull our sense of God's greatness.
- Recovering awe is a grace to be sought, not a mood to be manufactured.
Scripture (read on NKJV)
- Isaiah 6:1–5 — Isaiah's vision of the LORD in the temple
- Exodus 3:1–6 — Moses and the burning bush — holy ground
- Habakkuk 2:20 — "Let all the earth keep silence before Him."
Reflect
- When did you last feel genuine wonder in God's presence? What brought it on?
- In what ways might familiarity with “church things” have dulled your sense of God's greatness?
- What would it mean, practically, to approach this week's worship as holy ground?
Prayer
Holy God, forgive our casualness before Your greatness. Awaken in us again the wonder Isaiah knew, and Moses knew, when they stood in Your presence. Let us never lose our sense of awe. Amen.