It’s finally here! Margaret Feinberg’s new Bible Study, Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God, released this month. You guys saw the amazing footage from the study, and now you can hear Margaret talk about her discovery that God astounds us with “wonder upon wonder.”
And here’s a note from Margaret:
There have been more seasons in my life devoid of the wonder of God than I can keep track of. I think we all have them. I know I’ve had those seasons when it just feels like I’m going through the motions of faith and God feels ten million miles away.
In fact, Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God was founded out of such a time. Leif and I had just gone through one of the roughest years of our lives. Those who read the Wonderstruck book will learn of many of the challenges and intimate details of that time.
But what was born out of that time of essentially saying, “God, where are you?” was this resounding prayer and desire for the wonder of God. Essentially I was saying, God reveal yourself, your whole self to me. I want to know you like I’ve never known you before. I want to see you in places I’ve never seen you before.
And God did not disappoint.
We began seeing God show up in relationships, our finances, our chance conversations, our everyday interactions—in the most surprising ways. Scripture passages that I’d read many times suddenly came alive in a whole new way. The passion for God returned, not something forced or manipulated, but just burned inside.
So if you are in that place where you feel millions of miles from God. Can I ask you to stop and pray right now and ask for God’s wonder. Ask Him that he would reveal the whole of Himself to the whole of you. And will you live wide-eyed to the ways God answers. Because you never know what miracle, what divine moment, what insight into the character of God that transforms you forever just might be waiting.
Now I know that sometimes talking about the wonder of God feels like tying kite strings onto clouds. You can never quite get a grip on it. That’s why I like to define the wonder of God as “those moments of spiritual awakening that create a longing to know God more.”
For me, one of the most foundational is the Scripture. As I study God’s Word, my spiritual appetite to know God grows. At times, I’ll be studying a passage and caught up in the awe of what it reveals about God—even the smallest glimpse of His character, beauty, and power are breathtaking.
I also encounter the wonder of God in relationships. I find myself amazed by the love, care, and sacrifice people have made at those incredible and unexpected times.
And I see the wonder of God so clearly in creation. Watching a sun rise or melt into the horizon, staring at a mountain ridge or farm land, I find myself wondering, “If these creation beautiful, how much more stunning must our Creator Maker be? What kind of God paints with such spectacular color palate? Those moments make me want to know God more.
And then there’s those times when God does what we think impossible. I have a family member who I thought for years, there’s no way he’s going to come to know Christ. I know. I’m a believer. You’re not supposed to say that. But we all have those people who pray for but deep down we think, “There’s no way!” And he came to know Christ, and he and his family are in church and growing in their relationship with God. And I find myself wonderstruck!
These are just a few. Indeed, the wonders of God are all around and God longs to astound us with wonder upon wonder.
Follow Margaret on Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram @mafeinberg, or like her on Facebook. And stay tuned for FREE Friday—we’ll give away something that will leave you “Wonderstruck”!