lostnowfoundk's Blog

In the bustling busyness and demanding deadlines of today’s society, there is something wondrous in not seeing the end. Faith is a journey, a life lived in wonder so vast it does not ever seem to find a definitive end. As [Hebrews 11:3] says,

“By faith we understand that worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

There is an uncertainty when we cannot see or understand things fully, but it turns into wonder when we rest in the assurance of Christ’s salvation.

Recently, my husband and I stayed at a cottage in the hills. We just loved the vast landscapes we were able to enjoy there – the lake with its family of ducks and unseen fish, the plains with grasses dancing in the wind, the sky’s blue depths reaching into space and beyond, and the stars which gave us a glimpse of light years away. Looking up into the sky, we realised that our eyes could not comprehend it. Beyond the clouds is an atmosphere we hardly visit, and beyond that lies the curiousity of space which still holds many secrets. In fact, our eyes could barely comprehend the bottom of the lake where we are sure the fish were hiding. Our physical eyes are limited in comprehension but faith gives us eyes of understanding.

“… that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…” – [Ephesians 1:17-18]

When we have these eyes of understanding, as Ephesians says, we can start to understand the following (from verses 18-22):

• The hope of His calling
• The riches of His glory
• His inheritance in the saints
• The exceeding greatness of His power towards us
• The working of His mighty power in Christ when He was raised from death to life and seated at the right hand of the Father
• How Christ is above all principalities and power, over every might and dominion, over every name and Lord over all this in the past, present and times to come
• How Christ is head of the church
• How the church, as His body, is the fullness of Him
• How God fills all in all

Each one of these tells a wonderful story about who God is. It describes His character, His love, His power, His feelings and His thoughts towards us, and towards His church. It is wonderful to gaze upon the Lord, wonderful to know God is so great, and yet so approachable, wonderful that His is full of glory, but also full of grace. So vast is the nature of God that it is beyond eternity. There is wonder, and a sense of awe, in seeing His eyes of love. There is wonder in the way that His works, in the display of His power, and in the meekness of His grace. There is wonder in His creation, and wonder in His creating us. There is wonder in the life that He gives, and wonder in cross by which He has made life eternal. There is wonder in hope, riches, inheritance, exceeding greatness, working of power, and the fullness of Christ. These are the things we can see when our eyes are given sight through the Spirit of God – the wonder of His Name, His wisdom, His works.

[Isaiah 9:6] – “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be on His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

[Isaiah 29:14] – “Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

[Psalm 75:1] – “We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.”

How do we respond to the wonder of God? We can respond in a couple of ways.

1. We can choose to ignore it.

2. We can choose to celebrate it for a moment then forget.

3. We can choose to meditate on it day and night.

God’s wonders cannot be hidden but we can choose to ignore them. We can also recognise and celebrate a wonder of God, then promptly forget and return to our old way of living.

[Romans 1:20] – “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

King Saul and King Nebuchadnezzar are examples of men who recognised the wonder of God’s works but choose to ignore or forget it. King Saul, rebuked by God on a number of occasions, did not surrender or submit himself to God’s will. Instead, he started ignoring the wonders of God, acknowledging them only momentarily at times when he was cornered. King Nebuchadnezzar celebrated the wonders of God a number of times but seemed to forget soon after. David explained to him how God had revealed his dream and Nebuchadnezzar declared God the “Lord of kings”. However he subsequently forget this when he made a gold statue and demanded all people worship it under threat of death. When God saved the three Israelites who refused to comply with the decree, Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and worshiped God again. Yet later, he spoke proudly of his own majesty and God humbled him. Eventually, Nebuchadnezzar is restored, his eyes opened to see the true majesty of God.

[Daniel 4:34] – “And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honoured Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.”

When we choose to ignore the wonders of God, we miss out on relationship with Him and subsequently, we miss out on the true wonder of life.

We have another choice however, in how we can respond to God’s wonder. We can choose to recognise it, praise God and seek greater understanding of His wonders each and every day. Like King David, we can praise God in the wonder of His victories. Like Job, we can trust Him when we do not comprehend our suffering. Like Paul, we can remember the wonder of how God revealed Himself to us, and live everyday transformed in His image. This is my choice, and I hope it is yours: to meditate on God’s wonders every day, to never lose the wonder of faith, and to praise His wonderful name forever. After all, seeking after God holds an eternal wonder that nothing on earth can replicate.

[Psalm 145:5] – “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.”