We all want to be loved. We were created to love and be loved. In this world though, being loved can be tough at times. It can lead to hurt and that can lead to us trying to manage or alleviate that hurt.

After reading Francis Chan’s book, Beloved, recently I have been thinking more about the amazing love of God. We talk about it a lot. We even sing about it even more: The Love of God, And Can It Be (Amazing Love), Amazing Grace, How He Loves, Reckless Love, How Deep the Father’s Love for Us, and so many more. I found myself wondering if beyond our words and songs, do we really believe and embrace God’s great love for us in our daily lives?

Throughout Scripture there are countless verses about God’s great love for us. This article might become unbearably long if I even attempted to list them all, but here are a few examples:

“The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.’” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience;” (Colossians 3:12)

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

From the Old Testament, we see God’s faithful love for His children, the Israelites, and His desire for them to be in relationship with Him. In the New Testament, we see Him send His beloved Son to pay the price for our sin and make the restoration of our relationship with Him possible once and for all. We also see that His love wasn’t just for a specific group of people or even the whole of humanity. Although both of these are true, His love is so much more.

His love is for me, personally. It is for you, personally. Jesus died on the cross out of love for all humanity, and out of love for you and out of love for me. God loves and wants a relationship with each and everyone of us.

When I stop and think about His love in this way, it is staggering. He loves me that much. When I think of all that Jesus went through out of His love for me it is shocking. When I think of the great lengths that God has gone to and His patience and persistence in loving me it’s astounding. He loves you in that way too.

As if all of that isn’t enough, unlike our flawed, fallen human love, God’s love is perfect. Though we will go through and experience hurt, His love for us is secure. We will not experience hurt from His love. Instead we can run to Him with our hurts and He will weep and mourn with us while comforting, sustaining and healing us.

Even as I write these words, I am blown away at just how little I seem to understand about the depths of His love for me. I am challenged that I don’t spend nearly enough time dwelling on and appreciating His love. I am reminded of what waits for me as I abide in Him and enjoy the love that He gives so abundantly.

I hope that you will join me in taking time to fully embrace and abide in His great love for each of us today.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

At the end of this week we will be celebrating the Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day in the United States. This is not just any Fourth of July though. It’s not just any year marking the birth of this nation. It is the 250th anniversary of that day when representatives from the 13 colonies forming the Continental Congress in Philadelphia voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence creating the United States of America. Our 250 year history has been one filled with courage, bravery, success and independence along with atrocities, cruelty, suffering, conflicts and disasters. All of these have grown and shaped our country over the last 250 years. I am admittedly biased, but think we are a great nation. No, we are not, nor have we ever been, perfect. Yes, we have made and will most likely continue to make many mistakes. While we should not deny or hide those, we also shouldn’t lose sight of the many great things that have been a part of our nation’s history either.

We have been blessed as a nation. To overlook, ignore, or deny those blessings is to have an ungrateful heart. I would hope in this week leading up to this great anniversary of the birth of our nation that we would take time to recognize the blessings that God has so graciously given our nation and us as individuals as well. In Job 12:23 we are reminded of this fact about God: “He makes the nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.” We exist, prosper, thrive, or cease to exist because of Him. This anniversary shows 250 years of God’s grace in establishing and sustaining our country. That alone is something to be grateful for.

I know that there are many differing opinions about the state of our nation right now. In fact, some of you might be even be reading this asking how can you say our nation is so great or that we are blessed don’t you see what a mess things are? You may think our President and the leaders have destroyed our nation, or that our President and leaders are being persecuted and people are trying to destroy them and our nation. If that is where you find your thoughts right now, I understand that, but I point you back to the verse in Job 12:23. Although leaders and other people can significantly affect our lives and nation, ultimately none of them can destroy it or make it great. That privilege and responsibility belongs to God and God alone.

It is easy and seems to have become a favorite pastime of Americans to criticize. We criticize our leaders. We criticize each other. We even have become weirdly critical of ourselves adding to the skyrocketing anxiety in our nation. As believers, I can’t recall a single command or calling for us to criticize others in the way we at times do. Instead I see these reminders and encouragements (along with many more):

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7)

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1)

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

So, instead of criticizing and complaining I see reminders to seek peace and prosperity for our city, and nation. I understand that we all probably have different ideas of what that looks like and how it should be accomplished and we can have and civilly share our opinions remembering that if we want others to listen to us then we should be willing to listen to them. We won’t all agree on the what and how of everything, but we don’t stop there.

We’ve also been called to pray for peace and prosperity. While we’re doing that, we are called to be subject to, or under the authority of, the governing authorities. If you are tempted to say that an authority figure you don’t like or agree with is not your leader, I’d caution you to think carefully and look back at Romans 13:1 where we are told that “The authorities that exist have been established by God.” The good ones, the bad ones, the ones we agree with and the ones we don’t have all been established by God for His purpose. We might not understand what that purpose is, but if we say we trust and follow God then we need to submit to His will and recognize His sovereignty. He is sovereign even over schemes of men and flaws of machines.

Finally, not only are we called to pray for the peace and prosperity of our cities and country, but we are reminded to make petitions (requests), prayers, intercessions (praying for their benefit), and thanksgiving for ALL people. I love the way the verse in 1 Timothy is written because just in case we’re not sure that they are included in ALL people, God specifies that these petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving should be made for kings and ALL those in authority. It even goes on to let us know that it pleases God.

With those important reminders, I would encourage you this week (and hopefully beyond) to take time to be grateful for our nation and specifically the Wonder of God’s Blessing on our Nation, but also take time to pray for it’s peace and prosperity. Seek that peace and make sure you are submitting to the authorities God has put in place and pray for them. Because as Billy Graham once beautifully stated, “The secret strength of a nation is found in the faith that abides in the hearts and homes of the country.”

I chose Discerning Wonder as the name for this ministry for a variety of reasons. I'll share some of the other reasons another time, but today I want to talk about the most important one by taking a closer look at those two words.
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Discernment is where we begin. It is crucial in both life and ministry. We use discernment everyday in big and small ways. Throughout Scripture we frequently see discernment partnered with wisdom and are repeatedly called to practice discernment with the help of the Holy Spirit.

We need discernment from God in our daily lives, and while there are many important things we should be discerning, perceiving or recognizing each day I would suggest that wonder is a very important one.

When we're young, the world is filled with so much wonder, but as we get older busyness, pressures, and cynicism so easily keep us from seeing the wonder around us every day.

As someone who has been in church ministry for over thirty years, I've also seen how easy it is to lose our sense of wonder. We start out full of wonder at who God is and what He has done in our lives and the lives of those around us. That wonder and gratitude fuel our passion for our calling and ministry and service.
                   But along the way we get busy.
                   We get stressed.
                   We get burned out.
                   We get misunderstood, hurt and taken advantage of.

We lose our focus on what God has done. We lose our focus on GOD.
We've lost our wonder.
               Wonder at the amazing things He does every day.
               Wonder at what He has allowed us to be a part of.
               Wonder at His love for you and me.

I don't know about You, but I could use more wonder in my life. I want to start noticing the beautiful, the unexpected, the inexplicable and even the unexpected and feel the surprise and admiration, awe and thankfulness of the Mighty God who saves and sustains!