“This was the LORD’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.”
(Ps 118:23, NKJV)
Life on earth is encapsulated in two words – wonderment and woundedness. We will first examine wonderment.
We cannot but stagger in the face of the amazing greatness and intimate detail of God’s Intelligent Design. The magnificent manner in which the sun elliptically tears itself from the dark and in a set course has the earth dance around it; the richness and diversity of the earth’s overwhelming textures; the astounding working of the human body, the ever-expanding star and planet constellations, the wonder of light and colour and the exact chemically-perfect balance of elements that make life possible, the holy mystery of the birth of a child, the mystery of thought, and sight, hearing, language. Indeed David is right –“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” It’s no wonder that the first name with which Jesus – the One from whom all things originate (John 1:3) – is announced, is “Wonderful” (Isa 9:6).
It is thus also no wonder that Jesus says that we should become like a child before we can enter the kingdom of God (Matt 19:24). A child possesses an unconditioned wonderment about life, and a natural capacity for faith in the Creator of all things. Listen to what He prays in Matt 11:25 – “At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.’” It’s not so much about childhood as such but rather about the way in which children think – “innocent of evil” (Rom 16:19). Rightly Paul states in 1 Cor 14:20 that “Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.” In 2 Cor 11:3 (Darby) it is explained in the following way – “But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, so your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ.”
There is simplicity in our thinking about Christ that has been contrived through the so-called learned men of the world. Libraries of heresy have for instance been written about a subject which Mark 16:16a sums up unambiguously and without any shadow of a doubt in only eleven words.
In the light of this Isa 29:14 is part of the unfolding promise of God to man: “Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” The most important facet of being born again is a new way of thinking (Rom 12:2). But this is dependant on the way in which we look at the world – “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” But also – “This also comes from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.”
- Sela: Ask God for wonderment, and to make your eye attentive to seeing it.
- Read: Jos 2; Job 37; Isa 18
- Memorise: Isa 11:1-2
