One-a-Day...for the Heart: God of Wonders
God can hide things when He wants to. Recently, a beautiful flowering brown-leafed begonia plant on our deck began to lose its brilliance and vitality As I searched for the cause, carefully examining the leaves for bugs, I almost missed this large Imperial Moth that had securely attached itself to the underside of a leaf. I marveled at how utterly camouflaged it was against the leaf, and how still it remained as it clung to the safe place that had probably protected it from many a predator over the summer months. “God of wonders, beyond our galaxy, You are holy, holy!” I thought as a popular Christian song by Chris Tomlin popped into my head.
How did that giant moth find its way to a plant with brown leaves the color of its wings, and then have the intelligence to hide underneath? Apparently, the adult Imperial Moth doesn’t even live to eat the leaves; it focuses all its energy and attention on mating before dying. It just needs to find a safe place to hide. Had I not lifted the leaf, I would have never seen it. The universe declares Your majesty. You are holy, holy! Tomlin’s song continues.
You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations (Psalm 77:14 NLT). When Adam breathed his first breath and looked around at the spectacular beauty of the Garden of Eden, what thoughts may have filled his mind? Imagine being the first human being EVER. There was no frame of reference for anything—trees, birds, the blue sky, animals, the moon—Adam had never seen any of it before, and now it was his home. What’s more, he was given dominion over it all!
Maybe since the very breath of God filled his lungs and gave him life, Adam was so connected to Father God that he instinctively knew all of creation was an extension of his heavenly Father, who now generously shared that creation and love with both Adam and Eve. And wasn’t she a wonder! Adam didn’t even have to ask the Father for a bride. Just as He ordered every day of creation with special projects, God ordered the creation of a woman from Adam’s rib before anyone even knew what had happened. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man (Genesis 2:21-22 NLT). God of wonders throughout eternity, You are holy, holy!
God does wonders that astound and confound the wisest of men. He does miracles and marvelous things as easily as we pour a glass of water or butter a piece of toast. Effortless. All of creation reveals God’s stunning creativity!
“I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember thy wonders of old,” the psalmist declared in Psalm 77:11. He continued to describe such a wonder in verses 16-20: When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths. The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed. Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook. Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there! You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
God of Wonders made a road through the sea—a pathway no one knew was there! Sometimes the wonders He does are too high, too difficult, too wonderful, too supernatural, too hidden to see or understand. When we notice them, it gives us reason to reflect on our Creator’s superb character and abilities. He does all things well. Perhaps today you will uncover one of His marvelous wonders, too. They are all around us, for the universe declares His majesty!
© 2023, Chris Custer Werre