No Idea

							Title:
No Idea

Word Count:
850

Summary:
Wonder...a sense of wonder. Isn't t
hat where we all end up when we con
sider our God, His creation, the wo
rks of His mighty hand?

I once had an office mate at work w
ith whom I did this wondering out l
oud. One day I was talking about on
e thing in particular that I wonder
ed about when she suddenly burst ou
t with, "Bill, you just wonder TOO
MUCH!"

Too much? Am I not supposed to wond
er, or had I crossed some maximum t
hreshold and boldly gone where no m
an has gone before?


Keywords:
inspiration,encouragement


Article Body:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,


Wonder...a sense of wonder. Isn't t
hat where we all end up when we con
sider our God, His creation, the wo
rks of His mighty hand?

I once had an office mate at work w
ith whom I did this wondering out l
oud. One day I was talking about on
e thing in particular that I wonder
ed about when she suddenly burst ou
t with, "Bill, you just wonder TOO
MUCH!"

Too much? Such a thought had never
crossed my mind before! Am I not su
pposed to wonder, or had I crossed
some maximum threshold and boldly g
one where no man had gone before?

I console myself with a line I once
 read or heard which, unfortunately
, I can't attribute to any learned
source-- either secular or Biblical
. It goes something like, "The high
est state to which man can ascend i
s a state of wonder." Sounds good t
o me, and certainly gives credence
to my natural tendency to speculate.
Of course, I've used the word wonde
r in two ways here: to express cur
iosity, which is where I start, and
 to be marveled and astonished, whi
ch is where I end up each time. But
 thinking about our God and His cre
ation; how He works and has worked;
 what the promise of eternal life i
n His presence does give us cause t
o wonder. How awesome is our God!

(Okay, I used the word awesome--whi
ch I try not to do, but if it can't
 be used in this instance when CAN
it be used?)

And to get from that first "curiosi
ty" to that final "astonishment" do
esn't always require thinking about
 the "nature of the universe" or "w
hat will Heaven be like?", either.
It's not even necessary for me to l
ook at creation or miracles to atta
in that state. It happens when I co
nsider His nature---His grace, His
forgiveness, and His incredible lov
e. I can get there in a flash when
I think about His love for me.

Consider the story of the prodigal
son (Luke 15:11-32). If you want to
 get yourself in a state of awe con
cerning God, I challenge you to rea
d that story again and then really
meditate on what's going on there.
The father is waiting and watching
for the son to return. When the son
 is sighted, the father RUNS to gre
et him. The father pays no attentio
n to the son's explanations and sug
gestions. The son is welcomed back
as if from the dead. How awesome is
 our God who would do that with us!
 And consider the father's expressi
on of love toward the son who did n
ot wander but who also did not real
ize who he already was and what he
always had.

I've read this story many times, he
ard many sermons and other referenc
es to it and yet, when I read it ag
ain and really meditate on it I'm b
lown away.

There's another song from Watermark
 I want to share with you. It speak
s of God's great love, how we often
 take it for granted, and how it st
rikes us again and again each time
we realize we have "No Idea" how gr
eat is His love for us right now no
r how it will be to stand in His pr
esence and see Him face to face. Lo
ok at the lyrics below.

No Idea (by Christy Nockels of Water
mark)

God so holy and true
I am captured by You
And all of the things You do
Things too wonderful for me
Things that set this heart free
It's all such a mystery

Oh, God, sometimes it's like I see i
t
For the first time
Oh God, sometimes I realize...

That I really have no idea, no idea

It feels like coming home every time
 I'm near You
No idea, no idea
Yours is a love so true and amazing

There's so much of You
I really have no idea.

And when I think about the day
When all else will fade away
Where are the words to say?
Is there a way to describe looking i
n Your eyes?
When I see the mystery, oh God,
Can't imagine seeing You for the fir
st time
Oh God, I know I'll realize

That I really have no idea, no idea

Great is the love that's given me fo
rever
No idea, no idea
Yours is a love so true and amazing

There's so much of You I really have
 no idea

No idea, no idea
You know I can't comprehend You
Or fully understand
But I trust Your heart
You're who You say You are
I believe I believe with all that is
 in me

No idea, no idea
It feels like coming home every time
 I'm near you
No idea, no idea
Great is the love that's given me fo
rever
I really have no idea, no idea, no i
dea
Yours is a love so true and amazing



Practice His presence today. Spend
time expressing your love for Him,
thanking Him for His unbelievable l
ove for you. Acknowledge to Him tha
t you often have "no idea" how "gre
at is the love that's given you for
ever."

Love,
Brother Bill