Psalm 33 and the Power of Awe: How God’s Creation Shrinks Our Worries
Have you ever felt like the problems in your life were the biggest things in the universe? I know I have. But Psalm 33 reminds us of something that can reshape our entire perspective: this is God’s world—we’re just living in it. And when we remember how big he is, the things that seem big to us start to shrink into their proper place. That’s what this Psalm does. It awakens awe. It realigns emotions. And it calls us to worship.
Praise Befits You
Psalm 33 opens with a bold invitation: “Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright” (Psalm 33:1). You don’t wear dress shoes to the gym or hop out of a mud-covered pickup truck in a pageant gown—it just doesn’t fit. In the same way, praise and righteousness go together. It’s fitting. It’s on-brand. Those who know the greatness of God can’t help but lift their voice in response.
And the invitation is loud. New songs, skillful music, joyful shouts. Praise isn’t just a byproduct of experiencing God—it’s also the pathway back when we feel distant. When we need a fresh vision of God, worship is often how we find it.
Why Praise? Because of Who He Is
Psalm 33 gives us four powerful reasons to worship: “For the word of the Lord is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord” (vv. 4–5).
- His Word is Upright – God never speaks out of turn or makes a mistake.
- His Work is Faithful – Everything He does is trustworthy and true.
- He Loves Justice – He isn’t detached; He’s morally good and engaged.
- His World Reflects His Love – All of creation echoes His care.
We worship because His Word, work, love, and world declare His goodness.
The Holy Shrinking Effect
And then the Psalm goes cosmic: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host” (Psalm 33:6).
Let that sink in: God spoke, and the universe was. Just His breath produced galaxies. The sun? You could fit 960,000 Earths inside it. If Earth were a golf ball, the sun would be a school bus. And the Milky Way? If the sun were a single cell, the galaxy would span the continental U.S—and it’s just one of trillions.
He doesn’t stop with the stars either. The oceans declare His greatness too. In the Mariana Trench, you could drop Mount Everest and still have a mile of water above it. Down there lives the Hadal snailfish, withstanding 12,000 psi—pressure that would crush steel. But God sustains it.
Psalm 33:8–9 says: “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” Creation isn’t just amazing. It’s humbling. It produces what we might call a “holy shrinking”—not a loss of value, but a right-sizing of our perspective. It reminds us that our fears, anxieties, idols, and accomplishments aren’t ultimate. God is.
The Gospel: The Creator Came Close
Psalm 33 points us to awe. But it also points us to grace. Because this vast Creator—this star-breather—is also a Savior.
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them?” (Psalm 8:4). Our Creator didn’t just make us—He moved toward us. The distance between us and God because of sin is greater than the distance between galaxies or ocean depths. But God closed that gap through Jesus. Pastor Louie Giglio said it like this: “The star-breather became the sin-bearer.” He came not only to show his greatness—but to share his love.
And through his death and resurrection, we’re not just reborn into awe—we’re reborn into hope. Jesus is preparing a place for us. A world without sin, sorrow, or brokenness.
Stand in awe—and stand in confidence. You are loved by the One who made it all.
Let Awe Shape You
So how do we let Psalm 33 move from the page to our lives? Here are a few ways to practice the awe that leads to peace and praise:
- Behold the greatness of God in creation. Step outside. Look up. Take in the beauty of a bee, a tree, or a star-studded sky.
- Break the distraction cycle. Put down your phone. Turn off the noise. Sit with God in silence and stillness.
- Share wonder with your kids. When they see a rainbow or a bug or a flower, tell them, “God made that!”
- Let worship lead your emotions. Sing even when you don’t feel it. Especially then.
- Preach to your soul. Your problems are real—but they’re not ultimate. Your Creator holds you in his hands.
Final Word
Psalm 33 isn’t just a hymn. It’s a heart reset. It reminds us that this world isn’t ours—it’s his. And that’s good news. Because if it’s his world, then we can trust his hands. So, let’s shout, sing, and stand in awe. Let’s let praise form us, and creation reframe us. Because the One who formed the stars is forming us too.
Watch the full sermon from week one of our “A Selection of Psalms” sermon series, titled “Awe Over Creation.”
