1 July 2020

I recently celebrated my Birthday and the family bought me helium balloons. One of my granddaughter’s has a fascination for them. She will play with them, delight in them for ages, so after a few days I gave one big one to my daughter to give to her. The wonder and delight on her face gave me a million ‘thank you’s‘ and delighted me! This wonder totally transparent on her face expressed the feeling of joy, elation, amazement, admiration that she felt for this beautiful creation. (A manmade balloon.)

It jolted my memory of a line in Psalm 40. It’s verse 5:

“Many, O Lord my God are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you….”

When I meditate upon the wonders God has done, do I have this look, this feeling of joy, elation, amazement, admiration on my face or in my heart? And He is and has done way more than fill a manmade balloon with helium. He MADE the helium.

In the book I have been reading, Recapture the Wonder, the word wonder is described like this…

“Wonder clasps the soul (the spiritual) and is felt in the body (the material). Wonder interprets life through the eyes of eternity while enjoying the moment, but never lets the momentary vision exhaust the eternal.”

How do I describe something that “touches” you? Like walking through a wood, on the normal path you regularly take and something, someone catches your eye and you stop in wonder……. a sunset, a child playing in the leaves.  It “touches” your heart, your soul, YOU.

Thomas the disciple had such a moment. Most of us know of him as the doubting disciple. The one who was not present when the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples. “We have seen the Lord” the disciples told him. He stated to the other disciples in John 20:25b

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Thomas like the other disciples was afraid. He still wondered and had doubt of the truth of the Lord’s words, “I will rise again in three days”. His reasoning, from his human perspective, it was not possible. He still doubted that Jesus was truly the Messiah, the Son of God.

Then WONDER fell upon him a week later. Jesus once again appeared to the disciples and Thomas was there this time.

Verse 26b “Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting, wondering and believe.””

Thomas said – that great line of adoration, wonder, belief:

‘MY LORD AND MY GOD!’

Do you notice it is the same words from David’s mouth in Psalm 40?

Now Thomas truly believes. His words bore witness of Jesus Deity. Jesus is the Son of God.

The reality of life right then for the disciples was it was scary times. Their leader, teacher, the One they thought was the Messiah had been killed. They were in hiding and isolation. Uncertainty and dark scary times, death was upon their doorstep.

Does it not sound familiar to where the world is right now? Similar uncertain scary times. Not the Romans out killing people but a Covid -19 virus. And Jesus would say to us,

“Peace be with you!”

Our response, even if we are like Thomas at first, doubting that the Lord is in charge, needs to be open to allow that Wonder in. We need to allow that spiritual experience to touch us.

The Lord has come to Save and Save us He has!

Our response needs to look into the face of Jesus, into the wounds of Jesus and state with wonder “My Lord and My God.”

In verse 29 we get an extra blessing. Not just the peace that comes from God but also a blessing when we believe in Jesus.

“Then Jesus said to him. Because you have seen me, (physically) you have believed; blessed are those (That’s us) who have not seen and yet have believed. “

Can I encourage us all to NOT lose that wonder? That feeling of blessedness, feeling of amazement to know Jesus, the son of God. As a friend. As the Saviour. To follow Jesus, to love Jesus.

If you don’t know Him and if you doubt – that’s ok – you’re in good company – like Thomas. Ask Jesus to come and visit you. He will. He never denies an invitation. Invite Him and be wowed!

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What is Wonder to you?

Do you allow God’s Wonder to touch you? How do you allow yourselves to be affected by God’s Wonder?