{"id":41933,"date":"2014-09-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/fog-of-unbelief-blocks-gods-beauty\/"},"modified":"2014-09-15T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-09-15T00:00:00","slug":"fog-of-unbelief-blocks-gods-beauty","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/fog-of-unbelief-blocks-gods-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fog of Unbelief Blocks God’s Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yosemite Valley in California is one of the most beautiful places on earth. To get there you go through a tunnel which opens to an awesome view of the entire valley—El Capitan, Half Dome, Cathedral Rock. Right at that tunnel opening there is a parking area where everyone is out of their cars, looking at the view, saying "Ooooh!!!" and "Aaaah!!!"<\/p>\n\n

Now imagine you drive through that tunnel, but when you emerge all you see is fog. No awesome view, just thick, gray, soupy fog. That's what happens when we are not feeling worship. The beauty of God is right in front of us. But blocking that view is the fog of unbelief—worries, or pride, or greed.<\/p>\n\n

If we just go through the motions in worship then it's like getting out of the car at the parking area, staring at the fog, and saying "Ooooh … Aaaah…"—words, but with no feeling. Why do that? Because if we will wait on the Lord, (Look to Jesus expectantly; say and ask him to help you worship; and set your heart on the truth of who God is as revealed in Christ), it's just a matter of time before the wind of the Spirit starts to blow, the fog starts to break up, we see the beauty of God revealed in Christ—and we worship<\/em>.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[411],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3385,3423,3465,3475,3910,4092,4303,4677,4984,5043,5145,5146,5290,5305],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-41933","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-adoration","tax_ctp_tags-apathy","tax_ctp_tags-awe","tax_ctp_tags-beauty","tax_ctp_tags-excellencies-of-god","tax_ctp_tags-gratitude","tax_ctp_tags-joy","tax_ctp_tags-praise","tax_ctp_tags-singing","tax_ctp_tags-spiritual-discipline","tax_ctp_tags-thanks","tax_ctp_tags-thanksgiving","tax_ctp_tags-wonder","tax_ctp_tags-worship"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"\nThe Fog of Unbelief Blocks God's Beauty - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/fog-of-unbelief-blocks-gods-beauty\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Fog of Unbelief Blocks God's Beauty - CT Pastors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Yosemite Valley in California is one of the most beautiful places on earth. 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