The first time I saw the Grand Canyon I remember, I stood in silent wonder. When I felt the spray of Niagara Falls against my face, I did the same. Then there was that first crystal-clear night in the Sierra Mountains when the stars looked like powdered sugar. I was breathless with wonder. And I love that word “wonder.” It’s hard to describe – you almost have to experience it. Like “Haah!” or “Oh my!”
When I think of the word “wonder,” I'm reminded of what occurred in Mark 9:15. Listen to what happened. It says that “As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and they ran to greet him.” That verse describes it well – wonder is simply a powerful emotional response which literally overwhelms us with amazement and breathless delight.
I think you can see, there’s a fine line between wonder at God and worship of God. That he would bless us with eternal pleasures when he could easily char us like burnt toast, friend, that is a wonderful thing. His grace and goodness make us stand breathless. It’s why Isaiah 9:6 calls him “Wonderful.”
Charles Spurgeon put it this way. He said, “Holy wonder will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against such a love as this. Feeling the presence of the mighty God in the gift of His dear Son, you will put off your shoes from your feet, because the place whereon you stand is holy ground. You will be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has done such marvelous things on your behalf, you will feel that heaven itself is not too great for your expectation. Who can be astonished at anything, when he has once been astonished at the manger and the cross? What is there wonderful left after one has seen the Savior?”
Well, friend, there you have it. So let me ask you to think back on some experience you’ve had, some event in your life, some beautiful place you visited, or a vista that you stumbled upon… a waterfall or a canyon, a spectacular sunset, or a distant forest… something that made you stand breathless in wonder. Now think: has your worship of the Lord Jesus matched that? Have you ever been overwhelmed with emotion as you’ve worshipped God on a Sunday morning?
Well, it is the desire of the Holy Spirit to show you how full of wonder Jesus truly is. So as you prepare for Sunday worship this week, ask the Spirit to reveal fresh, new insights into the gracious character of Christ. Ask him to overwhelm you with a sense of wonder. It’s one way – it’s the only way – your adoration of God will ever overflow with amazement and absolute delight.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends