Ten years ago, I moved from a massive city of several million people to a much smaller town. One of the first things I noticed was the night sky. “Wow, I can't believe how many stars I can see here!”
Many nights, I would pull into my garage, get out of my car, and before going inside, I'd walk back out just to look up. I'd stand there and marvel for a few minutes at a sky that had been above my head for years, but I hadn't been able to see this clearly until now.
Fast forward ten years, and the stars are still there. They are still just as beautiful as they once were, but today I can't remember the last time I stopped and looked up. What once amazed me is now normal, or even taken for granted.
Can the same thing happen with grace? When did the amazing grace of God stop amazing us? Perhaps it's been years since you became a follower of Jesus and experienced the wonder of his love and salvation. Familiarity dulls wonder. Familiarity doesn’t diminish something's amazing nature, but it does put us in danger of losing our sense of awe.
Unlike my relationship with the view above my home, Elevation Rhythm and Josiah Queen still think of God’s grace with wonder. Their song “Amazing!” is inspired by the famous song written by John Newton.
Queen begins the opening verse by declaring truths rooted in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This passage from 1 Corinthians is one of the earliest summaries of the Christian faith, predating even the Apostles’ Creed. Queen then personalizes these truths by singing “Full of life, with Him, I’m raised - Isn’t that amazing?”
We need to clearly understand the Gospel and basic doctrines about who Jesus is, our sinful condition after the Fall, and the nature of the salvation He offers. But every follower of Jesus is susceptible to allowing what was once remarkable to become routine. If you’re wondering how to avoid and overcome this temptation, the song offers us three Biblical strategies.
First, “Amazing!” reminds us that we were dead and then God made us alive. Drawing from Paul's words in Ephesians 2:1-5, Queen and Elevation Rhythm point back to the amazing change God brought to our lives as believers. We fight familiarity by regularly reflecting on the dramatic rescue and redemption God worked in our lives.
This is why Revelation 12 tells us we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Our enemy’s strategy includes making us forget or minimizing God’s work in our lives. Knowing and sharing our testimony helps us remember the work God began and recover our sense of awe that is easily lost.
Second, “Amazing!” helps us remember that God’s grace is unique in this world. Echoing Ephesians 2:8-9, Queen acknowledges that he would be destined for hell without this undeserved gift. In Ephesians 2, Paul describes how we did not earn, nor achieve, or even deserve this gift of grace. This truth should fill us with wonder because we did nothing to earn the rescue God offered us. In a world that’s all about status, achievement, and worth, our relationship with God is based on something very different: amazing grace!
Third, “Amazing!” points us beyond our past without Christ to our new life with Him. Queen and Elevation Rhythm sing about getting up, experiencing freedom, and finding an eternal home in heaven. In Romans 6:4-5, we see the Biblical foundation for this same focus. “And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
God’s grace isn’t just available to forgive our past, but to empower our future. We are united with Christ in his death and resurrection, so that we can live “new lives!” If you were to put this amazing grace story into three acts, you could call them, “I was dead. I was saved by grace. I’ve been given a new life.”
If you’ve stopped marveling at grace the way I stopped pausing to take in the stars, then what if you listened to “Amazing!” by Elevation Rhythm and Josiah Queen today? What if you asked God to help you see a familiar truth with fresh eyes?
The stars above my house hadn't become any less amazing. I stopped looking up. The truth is God's amazing grace hasn't become any less amazing either. Today is a good day for you and me to look up again!
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker who loves tacos, matcha, and sneakers. With more than twenty years of ministry experience, he teaches with a blend of Biblical truth, emotional awareness, and the compassion shaped by his own struggles.
Scott’s writing has impacted over ten million people through trusted platforms such as the YouVersion Bible App, Air1 Radio, and Our Daily Bread. He’s the author of Faith Behind the Song, a 40-day devotional book published in partnership with K-Love Books. Whether speaking on a stage or writing on a page, he offers a steady, empathetic voice that reassures people they are seen, loved, and not beyond God's healing reach. You can sign up to receive his weekly newsletter at ScottSavageLive.com today!
