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Wonder is the inquisitive pursuit of an understanding of all of the perfections of the excellent majesty of God.  To know God is the greatest quest of the human mind.  To know God is to have everlasting life (I John 5:20).  We must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  Without this knowledge of the Holy and faith in Him, we will never see God.
The Wonder of Wonders is the incarnation.  In John 1:14, God’s Word declares, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”  The eternal Word becomes a human being and dwells among men.  His glory is manifested as He makes God known to us.  The only begotten Son, a reference to His becoming flesh and taking on the form of a servant (Phil. 2:5-11).  Fully God and fully man in one person–Jesus, the Christ.  Full of grace and truth, which grace is God’s undefeatable, benevolent, goodwill and truth which is reality as God Himself defines reality revealed in His holy Word (II Tim. 3:16,17).  This is a mystery revealed, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (I Tim. 3:16).
Revelation of the Wonder
The foreknowledge of God is on display in the prophetic statements made in the Law and the Prophets concerning Jesus Christ.  The Second Person of the Godhead: The Eternal Word pre-existed the human form of Jesus of Nazareth.  “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1).  God foreknew and He foretold through the prophets that the Messiah would come through the “seed of woman” (Gen. 3:15), the “seed of Abraham” (Gen. 22:18); and the “seed of David” (II Sam. 7:11-13).  Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).  Peter writes, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (I Pet. 1:20).  Peter also writes, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.  Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (I Pet. 1:9-12).  The gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16) is the message of salvation that is accomplished through Jesus Christ our Lord.  This message reveals the mystery of godliness to us.  It reveals the birth, life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and savior.  The “seed” promise was ultimate fulfilled in the person of Jesus (Gal. 3:16).  This reality is prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  This prophecy was fulfilled in the virgin birth of Jesus.  The angel Gabriel explained to Mary, the mother of the Lord, just how the conception would occur, “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).  Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary by the miraculous power of God who can do all things (Matthew 19:26).  Matthew records the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:22-23).  God foreknew and He foretold and then, by His power, Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah (Luke 2:1-14).  Jesus is the savior of the world (John 4:42, I John 4:14).
Reality of the Wonder
Mary would give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:26-35).  Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah.  He is the Son of God.  God’s power to perform wonders brought about the wonder of wonders–the birth of Jesus, the Christ.  The word incarnation is derived from the Latin language and means, “to take on flesh,”  or “embodiment of flesh.”  The incarnation is the gracious, voluntary act of the Eternal Word in assuming a human body and human nature along with maintaining His glorious divine nature.  Jesus is fully human and fully deity.  These two natures are indissolubly united in one person– Jesus of Nazareth. Paul describes this truth, “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9).  Paul also writes, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).  God’s Word declares, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste of death for every man” (Heb. 2:9).  The incarnation was necessary in order for the Son of God to die and secure our redemption.  The reality of our salvation and hope lies in the historical reality of the incarnation.
Proclamation of the Wonder
Paul states, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (I Cor. 2:2).  “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (I Cor. 1:23-25).  Paul preached the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16) to the saving of the souls of men and women.  Salvation from sin involves a purchase price.  The purchase price involved in our redemption is the blood of Jesus, the Christ.  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Pet. 1:18-19).  Jesus’ blood is the only means of remission (forgiveness).  “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22).  “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:4).  “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14).  Not only do we preach redemption and remission of sins through Jesus, but, we preach reconciliation to God.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (II Cor. 5:17-19).  Jesus makes oneness with God possible.  He is the preeminent peacemaker.  The message preached is one of redemption, remission of sins, and reconciliation to God thus bringing forgiveness, peace and sonship to the world.
The incarnation of Christ is a one-time historical event –wrought by the power of God;  involving a one-time historical person–Jesus, the Christ; having a one-time historical result–the salvation of the people of the world.  This is the mystery of godliness revealed and proclaimed through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hear the Word of the Lord: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  Paul understood the power of thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is a command of God for every Christian.  It is an expression of humility and joy at the reception of the goodness of God manifested in the bestowal of His grace.  God’s grace is a windfall for every person who experiences it.  The goodness of God is overwhelming.  God’s grace saves us (Eph. 2:8-9) and it sustains us (II Cor. 9:8).
Since God’s grace is given to us on a daily basis, we should be thankful for everything we receive from Him.  This means a daily renewal of thanksgiving.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Transform Us (Its Humbling Effect)
When someone from whom you have no right to expect anything, gives you everything, it is a humbling experience.  God’s lovingkindness is like that.  It is grace.  God is its source.  God is infinite in His goodness.  When we taste of the heavenly gift (Heb. 6:4), the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, we are humbled.  The gift of God’s Son (John 3:16) is the unspeakable gift (II Cor. 9:15).  The gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is priceless!  Truly, the windows of heaven are opened to us.  Our salvation through Jesus, opens the door to every spiritual gift (Eph. 1:3).  All spiritual blessings are in Christ.  God withholds nothing.  He gives us everything.  Then, if we put the kingdom of God and His righteousness first in our lives, all of the temporal blessings are given to us (Matthew 6:33).  God saves us.  Then, He sustains us.  Both acts of God are humbling.  We know we are not worthy.  Yet, God enriches us with every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
The Power of Thanksgiving To Connect Us To God (Its Reconciling Effect)
The goodness of God pulls us in God’s direction.  The goodness of God leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4-6).  He loved us first, then, if we respond to His love as we should, we love Him back (I John 4:19).  He manifests His long-suffering toward us (II Pet. 3:9).  He reveals His grace to us (Titus 2:11-12).  The impenitent despise the goodness of God.  The impenitent are also unbelievers.  Unbelievers harden their hearts against God.  But, at the same time, they act in such a way as to contradict their own best interests.  This is self-defeating.  It also denies God’s goodness.  The good and honest heart responds positively to God’s love and to His grace.  The human soul needs God’s saving power.  The human heart needs God’s grace.  Gratitude to God makes us look up to God from whence cometh our salvation.  We connect with God when we obey the commandments He has given to us through His Son in the New Testament–the Law of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2).  We can enter into covenant relationship with God by recognizing His goodness toward us and humbling ourselves in His sight.   Through thanksgiving we complete the circle of fellowship with God.  We recognize His goodness and receive it with meekness.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Change Our Perspective (Its Optimistic Effect)
Are you weary?  Are you heavy hearted?  Are you inundated by the evil that surrounds us?  Take heart, focus on God’s goodness.  Put on “God’s goodness” glasses and it will change your perspective.  Start by observing God’s blessings in your life.  Count your many blessings.  Name them one by one:  daily bread, shelter, clothing, answered prayers, material means, the good done to you by others, natural resources: sun, earth, rain, and the air we breathe, redemption, salvation, and justification to name a few.  We are truly rich toward God (II Cor. 8:9).  Do you describe yourself as rich?  Put on “God’s goodness” glasses and you will see just how blessed you really are.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Increase Contentment (Its Peacemaking Effect)
Covetousness is a robber.  It robs of inner peace.  It robs God of His rightful place in our hearts (Col. 3:5).  The insatiable appetites of the flesh war against the soul (I Pet. 2:11).  This struggle within us is resolved only when we can slay covetousness and replace it with contentment.  Godliness with contentment is great gain! (I Tim. 6:6).  Contentment is being satisfied with God’s sufficiency for our lives.  God’s sufficiency is His grace.  Our lives do not consist of the abundance of the things that we possess (Luke 12:15).  We need to be able to say, “It is enough.”  Only then, will we have peace.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Deepen Relationships (Its Unifying Effect)
Gratitude helps us recognize the value of others to us.  Gratitude cements relationships with others.  We recognize their value to us.  We need each other.  In I Cor. 12:14, Paul emphasizes that the body of Christ is comprised of many members.  Each of these members has a function.  But, it does not function just for itself.  It functions for the benefit of the whole body.  Our giftedness is a blessing to the whole body and is not to be a source of envy within the body of Christ. We are spiritual united in Christ when we are baptized into Christ (I Cor. 12:13).  We are spiritually united to each other.  Gratitude recognizes this fellowship and helps form a bond that keeps us united.  This interdependency in the body of Christ makes us stronger and more productive.
Gratitude is a powerful attitude that benefits us personally and positively affects all of our relationships.  Unleash this power in your own life and see how it affects your relationship with God, molds your own character, and strengthens relationships with others.

The wonder of God should stimulate “inquisitive awe in the pursuit of an understanding of all of the perfections of the excellent majesty of God.”  Pursuing the wonder of God is a certain cure for boredom!  Pursuit of the knowledge of who God is and what God has done is a thrilling quest of the human heart that is certain to bring excitement to the human soul.  This pursuit is a lifetime spiritual endeavor.  Those who undertake it are immediately rewarded intellectually and spiritually.  Keep the wonder!
God’s Justice Defined
God’s justice or righteousness is an intrinsic moral perfection of God.  There are six moral perfections of God:  holiness, justice, jealousy, perfection, truthfulness and goodness (love).  Each of these moral perfections are interrelated.  Consequently, God’s justice is interrelated to His holiness, truthfulness, and perfection.  God’s laws stem from His moral perfections.  Justice is based upon truth.  No truth, no justice.  Objective truth originates in the mind of God and is conveyed through the revelation God has made by the Holy Spirit.  This revelation we call Scripture.  God is and reveals the ultimate standard of righteousness and by this standard all mankind will be judged by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31).  God’s justice is His righteousness applied to the human soul.
God’s Justice Revealed
Ps. 89:14, “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”  Justice (God’s intrinsic moral perfection) and judgement (God’s decrees regarding man’s conduct) are inherent in His majesty as King as kings (His sovereignty).  Justice could not exist without truth and one of God’s moral perfections is truthfulness.  In fact, God cannot lie (Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2; Rom. 3:4).  This important truth about God has tremendous implications for our faith.  Faith in God is never a “leap in the dark” as some falsely claim.  Our personal faith is rooted and grounded in the objective truth God’s has revealed in holy Scripture (Rom. 10:17).  God’s justice expresses itself in mercy or in condemnation.  In order for us to be justified, God’s applies His mercy based upon the atoning power of the blood of Jesus Christ.  When Christ’s blood is applied to our life, we are forgiven (Rom. 5:8-9).  If Christ’s blood is not applied to our life, then we remain unforgiven which is the very definition of condemned.  God’s mercy toward us is conditional.  The terms or conditions are stated in His Word which today is given in the New Testament.  God has always dealt with man through a unilateral covenant.  God gives the commandments and human beings must follow them.  Since Jesus’ death on the cross, when the New Testament went into force, God has dealt with us on the terms of the New Covenant or the Law of Christ (Col. 2:14, Eph. 2:13-22; Heb. 9:15).  The words of Jesus Christ will judge us in the last day (John 12:48).
Heb. 1:8, “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.”  A scepter is a standard of rule.  The scepter is a symbol of imperial authority.  God’s reign/rule is eternal.  God’s reign/rule is universal.  God’s reign/rule is inherent in His righteousness.  God has ultimate authority to bind and loose and exercises this authority over all of mankind.
Ps. 19:9, “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.”  The LORD’S decrees are based upon His true ordinances, laws or commandments.  God is righteous altogether.  Truth is that which conforms to reality as God defines reality.  To reject the truth is to accept irrationality.  It is to believe a lie and this would lead to vanity in life.  To reject the truth revealed by God would bring condemnation to our soul through the execution  of God’s justice.
Zephaniah 3:5, “The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”  The violation of God’s law (no matter what covenant is in force at the time) is the definition of injustice.  The unjust are unrighteous.  The unrighteous know no shame.  They act with impunity because they do not fear God, but they will face God’s justice!
The Application of God’s Justice To Us
Righteousness is the standard of justice that God will use to judge the people of this world.  “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof  he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”  This righteous standard is the very words of Jesus Christ (John 12:48).  When Jesus comes the second time, He will come as the judge of all people. People will be judged according to their deeds (Rom 2:6).  God’s justice is involved in manifesting mercy to those who have known Him and obeyed the gospel of Christ (II Thess. 1:7-9; Rom. 1:16, Rom. 5:8-9).  Justification is based upon the substitutionary sacrifice Jesus made of Himself for the sins of all human beings.  Those who have obtained forgiveness through the blood of Jesus have no fear of the wrath of God.  However, those who reject Jesus and His words, will be condemned by their unbelief and disobedience (Mark 16:16; John 8:24).  They will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (II Thess. 1:7-9).
We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (II Cor. 5:10).  We must all face the justice of God.  Will we face God forgiven or unforgiven?  Only you can answer that question.  Only you can believe and obey the gospel of Christ (Mark 16:16).

The rightful idea of authority has fallen on hard times in the 21st Century.  Illegitimate forms of authority range from the abusive exercise of totalitarianism to individual authority emerging from the postmodern mindset of selfishness (self-rule).
Who’s in charge here?  This is a legitimate question.  Original authority and ultimate authority reside in God and God alone.  God did not inherit His authority, there was no one to bequeath it to Him.  God did not receive His authority, there was no one to give it to Him.  God did not obtain His authority by election, there was no one to vote for Him.  God did not get His authority by seizure, there was no one to seize it from.  God inherently possesses authority because He is the great I AM (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58).
The Sovereignty of God Expressed in Scripture
“In whom  also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”  Eph. 1:11.  God works all things after the counsel of His own will.
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:33-36).  “Of Him” indicates source.  “Through Him” indicates agency.  “To Him” indicates the goal or aim.  God originates all things.  He is the active agency by which they exist.  He is the ultimate goal or aim because His works glorify Him.  God’s sovereignty originates in Him because He is all-knowing and all-powerful.  Human beings are created in the image of God.  They do not tell God what to do.  God tells them what to do!
“Nay but, O man, who art thou that replies against God?  Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?” (Rom. 9:20).  Human beings are subject to God by virtue of the fact that He created them.  God not only creates us, but He owns us.
“The earth is the LORD’S and. the fulness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.”  Ps. 24:1. In the end (the end of the world) God will consume it all.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night: in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (II Pet. 3:10-12).  To God be the glory!
“To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, and dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”  (Jude 25).
Characteristics of God’s Authority
God’s authority is original authority.  It cannot be delegated or derived authority.  This means that all “authority” that men exercise is delegated or derived authority.  The powers that be in government have delegated authority from God (Rom. 13:1).  The powers that be are ordained by God.  They would have no power except that God ordained that they possess it.  Jesus told Pilate, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin” (John 19:11).  God possesses creative power and redemptive power.  Both types of power are unique to God.  Both types of power are expressed through His word (see Ps. 33:8,9 and Rom. 1:16 and James 1:21).  Consequently, the written word of God, or Scripture, is the highest authority and the final authority because it is the word of the living God (I Thess. 2:13).
God’s authority is unalterable.  It does not change with times, cultures, nations, or ethnic backgrounds.  All men are amenable to the law of God.  Sin by definition is a transgression of the law of God (I John 3:4).   All people sin (Rom. 3:23).  Therefore, all must submit to God’s authority expressed in His holy Word in order to escape the wrath of God.
God’s authority is exclusive authority.  His authority is not one among many forms of authority from which we have the luxury to choose.  Exclusive means “one and only.”
God’s authority is permanent authority.  It cannot be challenged or rightfully overthrown.  It is eternal because He is eternal and His word is eternal.
God’s authority is ultimate authority.  It is not relativistic.  It is superior to all other types of authority.
God’s authority is obligatory authority.  God does not merely suggest, He commands.  He binds and He looses.  He has the authority to hold us accountable to what He has commanded.  This is the reason that we sin when we disobey Him or leave undone what He commands.  God will judge us by His Word (John 12:48).
God’s authority is consequential authority.  It is not benign in its outcomes.  The eternal destinies of human beings will be decided by belief and obedience to God’s laws or unbelief and disobedience to God’s laws.
Human beings can reject God’s authority, but they do so at their own spiritual peril.  Who’s in charge here?  Who’s in charge of your life?  God’s sovereignty is the antidote to man’s autonomy (self-rule).  The God who created the heavens, the earth, the sea and all that in them is; the God who is the Great I Am; the God who saves to the uttermost; He is in control.  In order to be saved, we must confess that Jesus is Lord and acknowledge His authority over us.  Rom. 10:9-10.  In order to remain saved, we must do all in the name of the Lord (Col. 3:17).  (for reference see:  Terry Mortenson, Coming to Grips With Genesis, pp. 116-118).

In Walden, his 1854 reflection on simple living, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The cost of a thing is the amount…of life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately and in the long run.”   Before we buy anything, we ask ourselves, “How much does it cost?”  We know time is money.  We also know that time is life.  When we think about the cost involved in acquiring something, we must consider that “money” relates to “life.”  If I earn $15 an hour and an item costs $100, I know I will have to work several hours (more than six) in order to purchase the item.  This is true if I figure the amount of taxes that I have to pay on the money that I earn.  Time is money.  Time is life.  At the same time, the hours that I have to give of my life in order to buy that item helps me realize that “the cost of a thing is the amount of life which is required to be exchanged for it.”
An Example
Teens spend 6 to 8 hours a day on screen-based leisure activities (screen time includes:  iPhones, iPads, Computers and Television) (see The Anxious Generation, Johnathan Haidt, p. 119).  Haidt reveals the “opportunity cost” which refers to “the loss of other potential gains when one alternative is chosen over another.”  The question is: “What is lost when young people spend so much time on screen activities and leisure activities at that.  Haidt names some of the costs involved:  (1) social deprivation.  Face to face interaction with friends has decreased from 122 minutes to 67 minutes in 2019.  (2). Sleep deprivation. The lack of sleep causes anxiety, depression, irritability, poor learning, etc.; (3) Attention Fragmentation.  This problem leads to the inability to stay on task.  On average, teens receive 192 notifications per day.  This defines a day during waking hours with multiple interruptions/distractions.  (4). Addiction.  Cognitive addiction results.  As teens spend much of their time on screen-based leisure activities, at the same time, there is a loss of interest in spiritual pursuits.  No time for God in prayer.  No time for Bible reading and study.  No time to memorize Scripture.  No time for good works in helping others.  No time for God in worship.  Often the “opportunity cost” is loss of spiritual growth and well-being.
A Lesson From Jesus
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matt. 16:24-27).   Jesus develops the idea of “opportunity costs.”  What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  The cost of a thing is the amount of life which is required to be exchanged for it.  If a person loses his/her soul (is eternally separated from God–II Thess. 1:7-9), then something else took precedence over being fully committed to God and living in covenant relationship with Him.  God is supplanted with something else.  Whatever that something else is, is our idol.  Idolatry is strictly forbidden by God (Gal. 5:19-20).  The reason is that idolatry violates the first and great commandment.  “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”  When we put something else ahead of God, we commit the sin of idolatry.  “What is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?  or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  The only way to preserve the value of the soul is in covenant relationship to Jesus Christ (discipleship).  Jesus demands three things:  (1) self-denial; (2) cross-bearing; and (3) discipleship (follow me).  Discipleship involves a total commitment of one’s life to God.  Paul describes this as presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1-2).  Discipleship involves our whole being.  Nothing can be kept back from God.  The cost of being a disciple of Jesus Christ is your life–all of it!
Is It Worth It?
A second question that must be answered after we have invested in something or someone is: “Is it worth it?”   What is a man profited?  Jesus said that we might gain the whole world and lose our soul.  In view of the Second Coming of Jesus and eternity, is that a good deal?  The value of our soul is priceless.  If we accept anything, even the sum of the treasures of the world, and lose our soul, we have traded down, we have lost something profound.  Remember, to lose our soul means being eternally separated from God in hell (Mt. 5:22; 10:28).  The reward of discipleship is eternal life with God.  “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Mt. 25:46).  The cost of discipleship is fullness of commitment and consecration to God in covenant relationship with Him.  The investment returns eternal rewards!  The reward is a heavenly home with God (I Thess. 4:17).   It is going to cost us something–indeed our entire lives–to be a Christian.  But, the return on investment is out of this world–eternal life with God!

We have defined the word wonder in the following manner:  “inquisitive awe in the pursuit of an understanding of all of the perfections of the excellent majesty of God.”   The wonder of God involves the study of all of His perfections.  The Bible affirms that God is love (I John 4:8,16).  To know God is to have everlasting life (I John 5:20).  To know God is to love.  He that loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love!  If we do not love, we do not have everlasting life!  Love is the essential element of the Christian life.  Let’s explore what it means to say that God is love.  In doing so, we will learn what it means to love as a virtue of our own hearts as followers of Jesus Christ.  We are in a pursuit of the breath, length, depth and height of the love of Christ (Eph. 3:14-21).   There is no greater pursuit of the human mind and heart than to know God.
Love is an Intrinsic Virtue of the Nature of God
“He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love” (I John 4:8). “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (I John 4:16).  Love is a perfection of the very nature of God.  Love is not all that God is.  God is also, holy, light, spirit, just, righteous, merciful, etc.  God is the sum of all of His perfections.  To say that God is love is to say that God: (1) Seeks the highest good of His creature, man.  God’s love is undefeatable, benevolent, goodwill.  God loves unconditionally as a free act of His own nature.  His love is directed toward human beings who are the only creatures who need salvation from sin and its consequences.  His love seeks the highest good of human beings by bestowing His grace freely to them in order to redeem them from iniquity.  (2) God’s love is relational.  God is a person. His love is directed toward other members of the Godhead, His Son and the Holy Spirit who are also persons) and human beings created in His image with the ability to love as a free act of their own wills.  God loves the human beings He created and desires that they be in covenant relationship with Him and receive the blessings and promises that only He can bestow upon them.  (3) God’s love is personal.  God desires to be a personal relationship with each human being.  This relationship is based upon the covenant God has given to man under different historic periods.  Three different historic periods are discernible in Bible history:  Patriarchal, Mosaical, and Christian.  We are living today under the Christian Age which is ruled by the law of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2).  God relates to us by providing the means for us to be in fellowship with Him.  This fellowship is predicated upon our love for Him (John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him”).  (4) God’s love is unconditional.  It is not dependent upon who we are or what we have done.  God loves human beings because He is a God of love.  It is who God is.  (5) God’s love is beneficial.  God acts in our best interest for our greatest good!  God gave the best of heaven (John 3:16) in order that we can live the spiritually optimal life now and have eternal life in the world to come (John 10:10).  God truly wants the best for us.  If we do not possess all spiritual blessings, it is not God’s fault.  It is our fault for not reciprocating God’s love (we fail to love God back).  (6) God’s love is compelling.  God’s love comes before our love for Him (I John 4:19, “We love him, because He first loved us”).  We manifest our love for God by keeping His commandments (John 14:13; 14:23).  The cross is the love story of the Bible.  By studying this story, we come to know the love of God.  We learn of its sacrificial nature.  In turn, we must present our bodies as living sacrifices to Him (Rom. 12:1,2).
God’s Love and Our Salvation
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10).  God’s love is a wonder not only because of its scope (He loved all human beings), but because of the intensity of it (He loved us while we were yet sinners).  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).  God loved us when we were unlovable (not worthy of His love).  God’s love acts in our best interest even though we are unworthy of it.  Our redemption is dependent upon God’s love.  God’s love faces sin in us and sees the value of redeeming us.  God’s love is made known thr0ugh the unspeakable gift of His Son–Jesus Christ.  The gift makes God’s love: undeniable, selfless, sacrificial, and undefeatable.  God’s love overcomes the forces of evil and prevails.  It is powerful and accomplishes the purpose or aim for which it is unleashed–the salvation of the human soul.  However, we must respond to God’s love by loving God back.  We have two choices as we face God’s love.  The first is to reject it.  When we reject God’s love, we also reject eternal life.  To know God is to have eternal life.  To know God is to love Him.  If we do not love Him, we do not know Him and we do not have eternal life!  When we fail to love God, we also deny ourselves an entrance into heaven.  Our love for God must be supreme (Matthew 22:36-39).  To love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind is the first and greatest commandment.  If we fail to get this right, we will perish eternally.  Our obedience to God’s commandments is evidence of our love (John 14:15).  The second response to God’s love is to receive it and reciprocate it.  Love for God involves more than lip service.  It involves acts of compliance with God’s laws that demonstrate it.  Love and obedience are interconnected just like trust and obedience are connected.  Jesus is the author of eternal salvation unto all those that obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9).
The Depth of God’s Love
We know the depth of God’s love by what it cost Him.  It cost Him His Son (John 3:16; Eph. 4:25).  Jesus gave His life to redeem us for the eternal consequences of sin (Rom. 6:23).  We know the depth of God’s love by how little we deserve it.  We are unworthy.  But, God loves us anyway.  We know the depth of God’s love by the greatness of the spiritual benefits and blessings He gives us.  All spiritual blessing are in Christ (Eph. 1:3).  God holds nothing back!  God’s supply of grace toward us is unending (John 1:16).  We know the depth of God’s love by the freedom by which it is manifested.  God’s love is free act of His eternal will.  In John 10:18, Jesus indicated His love as a free act when He said regarding His life, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again.  This commandment have I received of my Father.”  No one took Jesus’ life from Him.  He freely gave it and secured our spiritual freedom from the servitude of sin.
God is love!  Behold it and wonder!  Let it fill your heart with awe.  Be grateful for God’s love.  Love God back with all of your heart, soul and mind.  Remember, that to know God is to have everlasting life.  To know God is to love God.  If we do not love Him, we do not know Him and we do not have everlasting life!  Failure to love God will cause our soul to perish eternally.

What do all of the following have in common:  a beautiful sunset or sunrise, the giggle of your grandchild, the early morning dew, a word fitly spoken in kindness, a cup of cold water given in the name of Jesus, and faith the size of a grain of mustard seed?  They are all examples of the value of small things.
Consider the following quotes:  “Live life like it’s the last breath you take for that breath is the whole essence of living, the little things in life are what connects us to all the big things we live for” (Robert Frost).  “True greatness consists in being great in little things” (Alvin Toffler).  “Find gratitude in the little things and your well of gratitude will never run dry” (Antonia Montoya).  “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out” (Robert Collier).  “Embrace the power of little things, and you will build a tower of mighty things” (Israelmore Ayivor).  “Without water drops, there can be no ocean” (Mehmet Murat).
We will add some scripture thoughts and insights to this list of quotations and explore the wonder of the mundane (the insignificant, often neglected, aspects of God’s wisdom).
Delight in Small Things
Daily reliance upon God for joy in the small things of life allows Him to become more precious to us.  It creates channels of delight and it demonstrates His power working in the more mundane things of our daily experience.  Paul by inspiration writes, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (II Cor. 9:8).  The supply of God’s grace comes in sufficient amounts to enable us to accomplish every good work.
Little Foxes Spoil The Vineyard (Song of Solomon 2:15).  
Small things may come in negatives.  Foxes spoil the vineyards.  Termites destroy foundations.  We must be aware of small habits that turn us away from God.  Lack of attendance at the worship assembly may seem trite, but it indicates a much bigger problem.  We are supplanting God with something else and have thus created an idol.  Is it recreation?  Is it family?  Is it our own will?  Love for God must be supreme in our lives.  Devotion to God is one aspect of our love for God.
Faithfulness In Little Things (Luke 16:10).
“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much:  and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”  Faithfulness in little things is how we prove ourselves trustworthy and reliable so that we can take on more responsibility.   When you make a commitment, you must follow through with it.  No matter how trivial you think that it is.  When you fail to keep your word even once, you undermine confidence in your reliability.  Stewardship is a test of our trustworthiness.  Since God owns everything, we are all stewards of what He has entrusted to us.  How we manage even a small amount is vitally important since it reveals our true character.
A Small Rudder Guides the Ship (James 3:4).
“Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth” (James 3:3-4).  James compares the ability to guide a ship with a rudder to the power of the tongue.  He describes the tongue as a small member and then teaches that it can kindle a great fire!  There is power in the tongue for good and for evil.  Think of the harm that has been done to many relationships by words of hate, meanness, and prejudice.  Think of the power of a lie to deceive millions.  Remember, Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).   Then, consider the power of God’s Word to transform lives and save our souls (James 1:21).  Truly, there is great power in our words.  “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (James 2:19).
Faith Like A Grain of Mustard Seed (Luke 17:6).
“And the Lord said, “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6).  The quantity of our faith is not as important as the quality of our faith.  An authentic faith is powerful and can accomplish great things.  The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds, yet produces a tree large enough for the birds of the air to lodge therein.  Small things can produce great results.  Of course, our faith never stands alone.  Faith worketh by love (Gal. 5:6).  The combination of faith and love makes us formidable soldiers in God’s kingdom.
The Power of the Common Person In Relationship to God (I Cor. 1:26-27).
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh,  not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence” (I Cor. 1:26-27).  The common person is more likely to put his/her trust in God than the powerful, rich, and noble.  The latter tend to put their trust in education, riches, and positions.  God’s wisdom is found in His Word.  Those who reject God’s Word, deny His wisdom.  Instead, they turn to the wisdom of this world.  James contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom from above in James 3:13-18.  Read it for yourself.
A Little Leaven Leaveneth The Whole Lump (Gal. 5:9; I Cor. 5:6).
In Gal. 5:9, Paul warns about the power of evil or error to corrupt not just one person, but many.  “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”  Some Judaizing teachers were demanding that Gentile Christians keep the Law of Moses and be circumcised.  This was a false doctrine (see Acts 15:24).  This false doctrine was persuasive to some and they were leaving their spiritual union in Christ for Moses (Gal. 5:1-4).  Paul states that they were fallen from grace.   In I Cor. 5:6, Paul rebuked the Corinthian brethren for permitting a person who was living in fornication to go undisciplined.  The leaven in this context was fornication and if left alone the situation would influence others to sin against God.  The Corinthian brethren responded to Paul’s teaching and disciplined the individuals involved.  Sin and error often creep in little by little.  Small steps away from God are troubling and should be met with swift justice from God’s people.
Sparrows Vs. God’s Children (Mt. 10:29-31).
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt. 10:29-31).  A sparrow is not worth much in monetary value.  Yet, God knows when one dies.  Human beings are of greater value to God than sparrows.  And, God’s own children are of greater value than sparrows.  Jesus uses an argument from the lesser to the greater to indicate the value of God’s children to Him and His active concern (Love) for them.  God’s special care is indicated by His complete knowledge of those who belong to Him.
The Power of God Plus One (John 6:9).
Jesus fed five thousand men plus women and children on one occasion with five loaves and two fish.  A young man’s lunch consisted of five loaves of bread and two small fish.  How could so little feed so many?   The answer is that in the hands of Jesus, they proved to be more than enough.  Jesus miraculously multiplied the bread and fish and fed thousands!  This is a remarkable miracle.  Reliance upon Jesus made all the difference.  Because of who Jesus is and what He can do, the impossible to us becomes possible through Him.  God plus one can make a tremendous difference in life’s circumstances.  Truly, “with God all things are possible: (Matt 19:26).
One Master (Mt. 6:24).
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt. 6:24).  Jesus repudiates a divided loyalty.  We must serve God alone.  Jesus shows that any attempt to serve two masters is destined to fail.  There is only one, true, and living God.  The god of mammon is an idol.  Idols are nothing.  When we misplace our affections and love something or someone else more than God, we sin by violating the law of love for God. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Mt. 22:37-38).   God tolerates no rivals!  But, consider, there is no need for more than one God because God is all-sufficient and supplies us with every spiritual need and temporal blessing (Mt. 6:33; II Cor. 9:8).
Small things are significant!  Embrace the power of small things and you will build a tower of great things.  Success is the sum of small things repeated daily.  When we focus on small things, there is no end to our joy and delight and wonder.