Astounded

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV) The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. 14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.

Astounded: To be suddenly filled with wonder or amazement.

Do you know in the core of your heart what it is like to be astounded and captivated by something or someone?

I remember the first date I had with Evie. She showed up at the end of a long, long dry spell for the old Chadster. I mean a long one! From the onset, she completely captured my attention. Warm, Real and Beautiful. She was exactly what I had been searching for. God began to knit our hearts together on day one and hasn't stopped ever since. My encounter with her literally changed the course of my life in every way. We celebrated 14 years of marriage last month with four kids and some gray hairs sprouting up!

The only encounter that I had with someone that was more life altering and astounding was when I met Christ at the age of 34. I had heard about Him all of my life, but had never met Him. He graciously came in to my life after I suffered through decades of off-based and burdensome struggles in religion. When I read the verses above in Isaiah, I can remember what it is like to have no wonder or astonishment of Christ, yet go through religious motions every Sunday and most Wednesdays. I remember vividly struggling with a sense that there is a God, but only wanting to use Him to advance my agenda. In that time of spiritual deadness in my life, God was mostly an imaginary genie in a bottle I wanted to rub to get me out of jams. He was more of a utility in my life than a God. I still wonder why He showed me grace. I did not and don't deserve it. That alone is reason to be captivated by his love. As religion faded, and true Worship sprung forth from my heart for my God, abundance and joy in life multiplied in every way possible. Where once I could find ways to be discontent in a five star hotel, I can now find perfect contentedness worshipping for hours in a tool shed in 95 degree heat in Togo, Africa. Why? Christ is that astounding!

To be sure, the adversary still flaunts false lures to try an distract my attention to both my God and my wife. Regular appeals to the throne of God for greater mercy from Him, and desire for Him carry me along in His power. I am His and He is Mine!

Where once I could be identified by Isaiah's words that describe a spiritually dead routine, guided by men's rules. I can now identify with some of His words used later when He says "you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the Earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 58:14)

So are you astonished at the amazing transformation that God is doing in your heart or are you satisfied standing on the outside looking in?