Amazed

Luke 5:26 NIV Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, We have seen remarkable things today.

When was the last time you were amazed by God? We sing of God’s amazing grace, but how often are we truly amazed by God in our everyday lives? The answer is not often enough! Somewhere along the way we have grown complacent in how we view everything that happens around us. We take for granted God’s protection, provision, directing our steps, and his wonder-working powers.

As you read through the book of Mark, this one little word keeps appearing. Everyone watched in amazement (Mark 2:12), many who heard him were amazed (Mark 6:2), people were overwhelmed with amazement (Mark 7:11), the disciples were even more amazed (Mark 10:26), and the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching (Mark 11:18). 

In a scene often known more from Charleston Heston and the epic movie The Ten Commandments than from scripture, the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses as a blazing fire within a bush, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this amazing sight—why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that Moses had turned aside to look, God called to him from the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” (Exodus 3:1-6)

It was not until God saw that Moses ‘turned aside to see the amazing sight’ that He spoke. Now what was Moses turning aside from? It wasn’t sin or evil, but his everyday responsibilities as a shepherd, of tending the flock. The reason we sometimes have a difficult time encountering God and seeing his amazing works is our resistance to turn aside. We resist stepping away from work, family responsibilities, and daily duties to give God our full attention. God will rarely, if ever, shout over the outside noise in our lives. Turning aside in amazement is the first step in seeing His amazing works. It requires spiritual eyes looking for God’s amazing works and spiritual ears to hear him call.

The sad truth is that when the Israelites ceased turning aside to see and acknowledge the mighty acts of God, it only took one generation to lose sight of God. Judges 2:10 tells us, “After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.” Turning aside and seeing the amazing works of God is not only for ourselves but for our children, grandchildren, and beyond. Psalms 78:4, “We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.”

Have we stopped turning aside, pressing in to know Him, to be amazed by Him? Have we become so accustomed that we are no longer amazed at the works of his hands? Have we ceased to be astonished that the God of heaven and earth has created a covenant relationship with you and me by his faithfulness and goodness, by his provision and healing? Every day, God is at work; every day he is performing amazing miracles and doing remarkable things. But we have to pause long enough to see the remarkable things he is doing. Ask today to be amazed by his work, not just in your own life but in the lives of family and friends, at work, in the markets, and in His beautiful creation. Joshua 3:5, “Get yourselves ready! Tomorrow, Yahweh will perform for us great miracles.”  

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Mark 5:41-42 NLT Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.

Acts 3:9-10 NIV When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Habakkuk 1:5 NIV Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

Job 37:5 NIV God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

Luke 4:31-32 NLT Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day. There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority.

Mark 7:37 NIV People were overwhelmed with amazement. He has done everything well, they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.

1 Chronicles 16:23-25 NLT Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his amazing deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

Psalms 9:1-2 NLT I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Matthew 8:26-27 NLT Jesus responded, Why are you afraid? You have so little faith! Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. Who is this man? they asked. Even the winds and waves obey him!

Matthew 15:30-31 NIV Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Psalms 33:6-8 NLT The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.

Acts 2:1-4, 11-12 NLT On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done! They stood there amazed and perplexed.

Psalms 72:18 TPT Praise Yahweh forever, the God of Israel! He is the one and only God of wonders, surpassing every expectation.