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Do You Nurture a Sense of Wonder?

HAVE you noted that Bible writers repeatedly evoke a sense of wonder when acknowledging the works and attributes of God? “I am wonderfully made,” declared the psalmist. (Psalm 139:14) “O Jehovah,” wrote the prophet Isaiah, “you are my God. I exalt you, I laud your name, for you have done wonderful things.” (Isaiah 25:1) Or think of the wonderment and awe expressed in the apostle Paul’s words: “O the depth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!”​—Romans 11:33.

The Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary defines “wonder” as “an emotion excited by what is unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable, esp. surprise mingled with admiration or curiosity etc.”

Is it not a joy to observe little children exhibit wide-eyed wonder when they see, feel, or hear things new to them? Sadly, such wonder based on curiosity or novelty often diminishes with the passage of years.

However, for the Bible writers just quoted, a feeling of awe ran deep. It was durable. Why so? They nurtured their sense of wonder by meditating appreciatively on the works of God. Prayed the psalmist: “I dwell upon the years long past, upon the memory of all that thou hast done; the wonders of thy creation fill my mind.”​—Psalm 143:5, The New English Bible.

How commendable it is that this sense of wonder can be found among modern-day worshipers of God! Do you have it? Are you nurturing it?