Skip to main content

Wondering In Prayer


Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:34-35) 

          Every once in a while, I find myself amazed by the fact that for years, a group of people in Harrisburg, PA have allowed me to own and control a multiple-thousand-pound object that can move around very quickly. I’m not saying anything about my driving skills. I’m equally amazed that whoever gave you your license did so. 
          As a writer, wondering is part of my job description. Right now, I’m wondering how in the world my heroes are going to get out of the mess into which I’ve gotten them. (OK, they helped.) Wondering is fun. I believe that the capacity to wonder is one of the things that separates humanity from the animals. Animals are practical. Some animals are inquisitive. There’s nothing wrong with that. I value their practicality and curiosity, but those things aren’t what I mean by wondering. 
          Could it be that God works miraculous signs and wonders to make us wonder? Wonderment provokes (at least) two basic responses: investigation (Oh? How’s that? What’s that?) and awe (Oh, wow!) I think wondering is one of my favorite forms of prayer and worship. The times of prayer that I love best are those in which I ask God about something rather than for something. What does He think of this? How should I understand that? What connection is there between those two things? Why is that right and this wrong? Those “Oh?” wonderings often lead to “Oh!” wonderings, and the “Oh!” leads back to more “Oh?” The more I look, the more I see parallels between the way the physical universe works and the way the spiritual universe works. As I wonder about God, my focus is on getting to know God, and not on getting God to give me something. 
          For anyone who wants to explore this subject further, I recommend Recapture the Wonder by Ravi Zacharias. I need to reread it. Last time I tried, I think I was looking for the wrong things. This time, when I get to it, I want to read it with the prayer:
          Lord, cause me to see the wonder of You.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more