Hello, I’m Bruce Davis.
Thank you for joining me as we explore
the Awe of God together.
Why Awe?
Like me, you’ve probably received ads or emails from doctors or health-minded companies whose products promise amazing results, such as:
Improve your mood / Make you more satisfied / Improve overall health / Cut inflammation / Help you think more critically / and so on…
Yet, what would you say if this prescription was free, and you didn’t have to buy anything to use it, just take advantage of what is already there?
That is the power of awe and why understanding awe and how it works in people’s lives is so important. This thinking is not only from the Bible but from science. Scientific Studies on the effect of awe began about 15 years ago. One of the leading authorities is Dacher Keltner of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. He and his peers have found through research that:
“Awe helps define us as more collective than individual, promotes greater feelings of community and a desire to cooperate, share resources and sacrifice for others. People became more modest and less narcissistic, entitled, materialistic and self-important… and this, engenders a greater sense of kindness to others and a greater sense of well-being.”
Dacher’s group found that awe creates a paradigm shift in a person’s thinking that results in the individual having more original ideas and more positive feelings. This, in turn, affects the immune system by reducing chemicals that cause long-term inflammation, hurting the body and leading to chronic illness.
In an article by Summer Allen on Eight Reasons Why Awe Makes Your Life Better, she states that studies have shown that awe can change our perception of time, saying, “Awe-eliciting experiences might offer one effective way of alleviating the feeling of time starvation that plagues so many people in modern life.” The study also suggests that feeling less impatient and less stressful about time creates a feeling that time is more plentiful.
The science behind most of this, views awe in an evolutionary way. They see it as a development that ties us together in a collaborative community, which increases our odds for survival. The studies tell us that awe happens when we are in the presence of something bigger than ourselves or when we go beyond our normal comprehension. Here is the definition given by the American Psychological Association:
“Inducing a sense of awe in people can promote altruistic, helpful and positive social behavior, according to research. Awe is that sense of wonder we feel in the presence of something vast that transcends our understanding of the world. People commonly experience awe in nature, but also in response to religion, art and even music.”
It’s is no wonder then, that the Creator who knows what is best for His creation directed us through the Psalmist (chapter 33, verse 8) how we can best flourish:
“… let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.”
First, we know, this is the rightful position of God. Secondly, our infinite God is the ultimate in awe and therefore an unending source for this trait He built into our nature.
In Chapter 1 of Hebrews, the author reminds us that
“In the beginning, Lord, you established the earth and the heavens are the works of your hands.”
God is the source of the awe we experience as we are amazed with His creation. He is also the destination of our awe.
Paul spoke succinctly in Romans 1:19, 20 when he said,
“…since what can be known about God is evident among them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made.”
A warning (vs. 18b) came first though in Paul’s letter. There are those who’d rather keep it in the material and not the divine.
“…who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”
In the Greek, the picture of “suppress” would be like someone today in a swimming pool trying to hold down a beach ball filled with air. It takes concentrated, willful effort to do so.
God made us for awe and created the benefits of awe for us. But awe was never to stop at what was inside or around us. We were meant to be driven to our Creator and give Him the glory He is due.
Thank you for joining me on this journey to discover how plentiful awe is in our world and how it leads back to a deeper worship of God and a more abundant life. Awe is not just a chance or an occasional event we experience. Rather, it should be consistent and on-going. That is the purpose of this podcast.
My prayer is that our wonderment, reverence and awe of God will enrich our lives and will be a light to those around us.
Brand and web design by
Spencer Davis
Sound design and podcast intro by
Mark Pennell
How it started
It was 4 am and I awoke with purpose. I felt God impressing on me the need to grow in and be motivated by my awe of His majesty and power. It didn’t stop there. I was urged to discover how He works in other Christians to help them keep awe front and center in their minds. And how that awe then reaches out to our world with His redeeming love. I felt called to find these stories and to share them with others.
I’m married with 2 grown children, I’ve taught Bible Studies for over 35 years, led small and large groups, and planted home churches. Yet, I knew this was a new episode in God’s work in my life and I needed to act on it. So, I started this podcast, praying that His work through these stories can be as inspirational to you as they are to me. The awe of our Great God is the very center of our worship. Unrecognized, we can turn to other entities we believe will give us awe but never fully satisfy.
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