Day 26: Notice the Amazement of Others to Experience a Contagious Awe

of The Heart of God: Through David’s Eyes

Below is Day Twenty-Six of the study, but there is an introduction to check out which gives context and sets the tone, and previous weeks to look at below. If you would like the full content all in one place, this book is now available for purchase on Amazon. 

Week 1 - He Longs for Us to Know Who We Are 

Week 2 - He Longs for Us to Respond

Week 3 - He Longs for Us to Know Him

Week 4 - He Longs for Us to Reflect His Heart

Day 22: How Despair & Community Impact We Reflect God’s Heart

Day 23: Benefits of Noticing and Experiencing God’s Righteous Anger 

Day 24:  Why Extending Mercy Increases Compassion

Day 25: The Gift of Practicing Grief with a Broken Heart

Day 26: Notice the Amazement of Others to Experience a Contagious Awe

A few months ago, a member of our church was preaching at our church. Honestly, I have no idea what most of his sermon was about that day - I am sure it was fantastic - but there is one moment I have not forgotten that he said that day. 

He had recently gotten back from a speaking trip to another country, and he was filled with awe about the vastness of the ocean. On stage was a grown man in his mid-sixties overcome with emotion over the awe he had experienced on an airplane. His expression of amazement emotionally impacted me to such a degree that I can still remember the way his breathing pattern changed, the way he caught his emotion in his throat. 

There is a similar moment in almost every psalm where David (or other authors) express the awe of a specific aspect of God. At times, David gushes about the greatness of God.  One psalm I was taught as a child that still comes to mind regularly when I think of God or am filled with awe at what He has done in my life is Psalm 100. 

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;
     come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.
     It is he who made us, and we are his;
     we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
     and his courts with praise;
     give thanks to him and praise his name.
 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever     his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100) 

I dare you to read this psalm without smiling. It may be impossible. When we read these words, the way the author of this psalm (likely David, but perhaps not) exudes gratitude is contagious. It allows us to focus on God’s goodness and how worthy He is of our praise and worship. 

📸: Vlada Karpovich (via pexels)

In the day to day, it is easy to forget to have awe, so it can be incredibly helpful to remember how easily this type of joy for God can pass from one person to another. We need not look any further than Psalm 100 to remember what our God has done or what He is capable of in the future. 

1. Look at Psalm 100. What is the psalmist praising God for?

2. Consider moments in time where you have been overwhelmed by the awe of God’s power or intervention. List some of the moments you have experienced awe here: 

(Think of nature, relationships, miracles, etc.) 

3. Who in your life is frequently awe-filled by God? Do you find their awe contagious? 

Reflection

Be brave and write a poem about something that amazes you about God. It does not need to rhyme or follow any poetry rules - this is all free verse. 

An excerpt of The Heart of God: Through David’s Eyes by Jill Ng