“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything.” Ecclesiastes 11:5
Today I had the privilege of taking my son to a state park for a short hike. It was a delight to see his wonder and excitement at the Lord’s handiwork. This evening, thinking about the day with my son, it occurred to me (Thanks be to God!) that there are too many times when I am unimpressed by the glory of my Christ.
My son is 4. I am quite a bit older. I have seen a lot more of life “under the sun” than my son has witnessed. As a pastor, I have seen the brokenness and despair that sin can bring. Getting to this point has involved a lot of study. The Lord has placed in my path teachers, mentors, and friends who have taught by word and by action what life in the light of Christ looks like. They showed what life in the Beloved really is. They are still showing that. From classrooms to combine harvesters, from back porches to hospital beds, the Lord has allowed me to learn from the words, the lives, and even the deaths of his saints. He has even taught me very hard lessons through the deaths of those who hated His name until their dying breath. I have experienced a great deal more than my son has in his 4 years.
It occurred to me today that for all the knowledge and wisdom I have gotten (Prov. 4:5, 7; 16:16), I can be so very less than wise. With all that God has been pleased to make known to me, I should be all the more impressed by his mercy, which I did not earn, do not deserve, and could never repay. I should be all the more patient as he walks me through his providence. It is there, by his leading, he purges the dross away and conforms me to the image of my Savior. I should rejoice in his discipline because by it he shows me he loves me more than I could possibly begin to imagine. Today, the Lord showed me all these things at once. He showed me my need to stand in awe of him. He showed me that there is so much more to know. The truth of the matter is that for the saints of God, even death itself cannot keep us from learning more and more of how truly awesome our triune God really is.
Maybe you will take a moment today, or tomorrow, or perhaps some random moment on Thursday at 2:27 p.m., and pause. Reflect upon the truth that the same God raises up the storm and calms the tempest. While you are thinking on that, remember that the same God who brought forth the heavens and the earth when the world was without form and void causes the bones of the unborn child to grow in his mother’s womb. The same God who was laid in a feeding trough rules over the nations. The same Jesus who cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” is the same God who says, “Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
May the Lord grant me the mercy to be as wise in wonder before him as a 4-year-old child.