by Marilyn Ehle
“…they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to Him.” Acts 3:10
Wonder: to be amazed, filled with awe, curious to know; to marvel at; to be astonished.
It’s a busy week with many meetings, personal appointments and deadlines. The clock ticks incessantly. I feel my shoulders tighten as my mind processes all that must be done in the next ten hours. I know it is important to take time at the beginning of this frantic day to read from the Bible and pray, but my tendency is to quickly read, utter a few less-than-thoughtful words (with “HELP” at the top of the list) and move on.
But my reading today includes many paragraphs that describe Jesus’ last conversation with His close friends. He knows many of these friends will desert Him in this hour of His greatest need. He knows the time for His cruel death is only hours away. Reading the familiar words causes my mind to suddenly stop; my heart feels as though it is being twisted by the love of my Savior.
Positioning Himself as a lowly servant, He slips a rough towel into His rope-belt, kneels before the disciples and gently begins to wash the muck off their feet. He tells them He is going away but will send Someone to comfort them in their hours of dire need. He promises them that one day they will again be with Him in a extravagantly prepared place.
I am astonished at His love. I marvel at His patience. My heart is filled with amazement and awe. I have stopped to wonder.
Dallas Willard writes that in order to most fully hear from God and be nourished by His word, we must follow a few basic steps:
(1) Do not try to read a great deal at once.
He quotes: Madame Guyon (a devout 17th Century Christian):
“If you read it quickly, it will benefit you little. You will be like a bee that merely skims the surface of a flower. Instead, you must become as the bee (that) penetrates into the depths of the flower. You plunge deeply within to remove its deepest nectar“.
(2) Come to your chosen passage as to a place where you will have a holy meeting with God. Read a small part of the passage and dwell on it.
(3) Do not hurry. Do not ‘dabble’ in spiritual things.
These are not steps for the occasional day when I have time. If I am to more fully hear God and be nourished by His word, I must make time for wonder.
Father, thank you for the gift of imagination and wonder. Remind me to not place it at the bottom of my list of important things to be and do.
QUESTIONS:
1. What keeps you from wonder?
2. How do you experience wonder?
How does wonder enhance your walk with God?
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2012/07/02/me_no-time-to-wonder/