You are Created to Celebrate Wonder!
There is joy in simple wonders woven into the fabric of creation and our hearts. How joyful they are in simplicity, and yet how hard it is for us to remain in innocent wonder, avoiding the snare of pride.
People are made to wonder and find great joy and blessing in God’s creation! Psalms 146-150 express in poetry the absolute joy in creation at the works of God – even more in the holy character of God displayed. Looking at the beauty of a serene or majestic place, we can resonate with Psalm 8. How often might the expression “Wow, God!” come to mind?
When I see the awesome nature of the _________ (you can fill in the blank with what comes to your mind), I am gazing at it, and I feel so small. I am filled with wonder at the vastness of creation, and it brings joy, not fear or shame. Joy and wonder are the same response from Adam in Genesis 2 to the amazing creation around him, further enriched by the presentation of Eve as his wife and companion. They were in awe but without shame or competition with each other or God.
Life is filled with the ordinary yet often messy and necessary aspects of obligations for work, family, and health. The joy of wondering brings relief, excitement, the hope of purposeful life, and encouragement to get up again tomorrow. God has created us not as self-sufficient gods but as image bearers of the One who made us, worshippers capable of complete joy in God – the ultimate blessing. God gave us the ability (Genesis 2:15) to cultivate and produce with our hands and minds for His glory! Wonder gets off track when we cultivate and build for our own pleasure and worship, as if we were the god in charge and the gifts are first for ourselves. (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11) This is when pride starts to take control, and as we will see in future posts, pride focuses on man, not God.
Read through Psalm 8 and Psalm 19, and notice three lessons that increase and sustain our wonder:
1. Enjoy wonder from the perspective of God’s glory and beauty, not yours. Psalm 8:4 “Who am I?” Refrain from talking about yourself and your opinion, and immerse your heart in the humility of what is bigger than you and your abilities.
2. Be filled with gratitude to the Provider. Psalm 8:4; 19:1-6 God has given you the joy of wonder to draw you from the smallness of self-focus to genuine gratitude. God’s creation pours effusive praise toward an awesome designer and sustainer. Don’t forget our ability given to us to thank God originates from God, Himself! Do you see the glory of God’s bigger plans and works outside your window? Do you express gratitude to the One who has provided all for you?
3. Be humbled to the surrender of your soul to God’s work and plans. Psalm 8; 19 While self-focus and pride quickly inflate your excitement, its emptiness deflates and cannot maintain joy in your heart. As you humbly recognize your own smallness and frailty before God (this holds true for all of us), your eyes can see a far bigger web of blessings, some unexpected, that emerge from what were previously viewed as problems. Even more so, wonder causes you to see the kindness and graciousness of our Savior God, who leads you to surrender your heart to His grace and plans. (Romans 2:4; I Peter 2:24-25) Psalm 19 instructs that there is a greater truth and glory than the stars – the revealed Word of God.
God created all of mankind to “take pride” in the work of our hands with the purpose of discovery and work for the blessing of others and, ultimately, the glory of our God and Creator (Psalm 90). This pride is remarkably different than the pride often displayed in our world. Enjoying wonder, filled with gratitude, and humbled by the kindness of our Savior, we can put our whole heart into our efforts for God’s glory, not man’s pride. In the coming weeks, we will explore the dangers of pride and the hope we can have for freedom from pride.
What wonder has captivated your heart this week? What gratitude do you have to share today?