Wonderfull: Ancient Psalms Ever New by Marty Machowski

Wonderfull is a guide to the Psalms that introduces young people to modeling their devotional life after that of the Psalmist.

Wonderfull: Ancient Psalms Ever New by Marty Machowski. New Growth Press, 2020. 272 pages.

Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10

Recommended For: All ages

Using a similar format as The Ology, with a frame story and an intriguing antiquarian book, Wonderfull is a softly illustrated walk through the Psalms with a boy and his grandfather.

Rather than moving sequentially from one Psalm to the next, Wonderfull offers some thematic organization such as grouping 6-7 and 9-13 as “Prayers for Difficult Days” and returning to Psalm 8 with a reminder that “God is Bigger Than Our Troubles.”

Machowski encourages readers to use a journal to chronicle what he or she is learning about God, models personalizing a Psalm into a prayer with specific requests, and explains the meaning of words like “YHWH” and the significance of “The LORD.”

Readers can learn to appreciate that the arrangement of the Psalms is intentional, which reveals the heart of God in using these inspired songs and prayers for His people to grow spiritually throughout life. We can learn by example how to pray and respond to circumstances whether we are dealing with various kinds of trouble, repenting, or worshiping the Lord. We also learn how to see Jesus in the Psalms.

Wonderfull concludes with encouragement for the reader to go deeper into a handful of Psalms from each of the five books, and how to apply the principles of study to other Psalms. A helpful resource for those who long for greater understanding and delight in the riches of God’s treasury.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here.

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