Worship and wonder are closely related. We will sense God's Presence more readily if and when we learn to 'wonder.' Christianity that is reduced to theological concepts and rote religious acts is sterile! If we go through the motions but fail to expect the Spirit’s touch, the Gospel’s joy and life is quickly gone. It seems to me that many Christians do not have much time for mystery these days. They want explanations! They want proofs! They want to know ‘how does it work and what is the pay-off?’ Even some churches boast that their services are packaged into 55 minutes or less so ‘worshippers’ (are they really?) can get on to the important stuff like grocery shopping and sports.
"Preacher, get me saved. Make me good. Give me three steps to being better at ...." But life isn't that simple. There is an awesome mystery that God allows to exist around us which we can only appreciate if we will allow ourselves to wonder. With the writer of Scripture I declare with great certainty - "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12, NIV) Do you see it? Paul does not put his hope in what he knows. He trusts the Person of God! Because I know the loving Father, I am able to relinquish the need to know the 'why' and live with the mysteries that surround me.
When I am called to the side of Christian in pain, or listen to a husband pour out the story of his broken heart, or see a dying saint struggle with fear, or …. there is a temptation to try make sense of their ordeal with platitudes and simplistic explanations, but to do so, is to profane the holy! The truth is that what God is doing is shrouded in the magnificence of His sovereign will and may only become clear in eternity. Our faithful trust defeats the Enemy's attempts to make her death a source of disbelief and magnifies the glory of God.
Believer, surrender to the worship of the One who says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9, NIV) Recover the wonder! It will cause you to serve God with more passion, to love Him more deeply.
Here’s the word from the Word. Ponder this passage as you move through this day.
"The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.
Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”" (Isaiah 29:13-14, NIV)
__________________
Hold Me Jesus
O sometimes my life
Just don't make sense at allWhen the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small
And I wake up in the night
And feel the darkIt's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart
So hold me Jesus
'Cause I'm shaking like a leafYou have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace?
Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for somethingI don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down
I'm falling on my knees
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace?
Rich Mullins © 1993 BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by BMG Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
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