I Stand in Awe

by Mark Altrogge
© 1988, 1997 PDI Music,
Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved

(verse 1)
You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty enthroned above.

(Chorus)
And I stand, I stand in awe of you.
I stand, I stand in awe of you.
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of you.

(verse 2)
You are beautiful beyond description,
Yet God crushed You for my sin,
In agony and deep affliction,
Cut off that I might enter in.
Who can grasp such tender compassion?
Who can fathom this mercy so free?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Lamb of God, Who died for me.

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As I was selecting worship songs for CDPC Puchong tonight, I rediscovered this classic called "I Stand In Awe". Always knew the opening stanza about the incomprehensible hiddenness of God for many years.

But after awhile, I felt that the language of speaking of God via negativa leave me with little to marvel at, to stand in awe of when I come to the chorus where it says...

"I stand, I stand in awe of You"...

...since God is 'beyond description', 'too marvelous for words', 'too wonderful for comprehension'... He's just 'like nothing ever seen or heard'... That leaves me with not much that I can actually affirm about God, doesn't it?

Tonight I felt drawn to this song again and found out to my surprise that there is a 2nd stanza rarely sung... doubt I've ever sung it before. It speaks positively of Christ's penal substitutionary atonement, being cut off from the Father that we may enter in... Although we still can't grasp and fathom fully, in Christ we see God's tender compassion and 'mercy so free'...

That gives me a lot to stand in awe of when we come to the chorus! Check out the song here

Comments

pearlie said…
I suppose I am "old school" so to speak, I'd still use this song if I am still worship leading :) One of my all-time favorites. I never knew there was a second verse, and thanks for posting it. That verse is awesome. Can't wait to worship lead again and I'll definitely use it many times over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLYW3DTS0RE

thanks for the second verse, never knew that!

KaKiaYam
Hedonese said…
Glad you all liked it! Other oldies that comes up often in my song selection are stuffs by Graham Kendrick. A friend lamented how come his songs seem to have disappeared from our repertoire