“Where did you get that?” That’s a statement that is most often connected to lots of energy and emotion. Most often, when we hear that question, there is body language that goes along with it. Eyes are wide open, body is leaning forward, and the pitch of the voice suddenly takes an elevator ride to the next octave. Don’t believe me? Well, when was the last time you heard that phrase spoken in a monotone, detached, apathetic way? Just doesn’t happen very often does it? There’s a reason for that. Most often when we hear the phrase someone has just spied something that is unique, out of the ordinary, eye-catching. Remember when the iPhone first came out? I wasn’t there, but I know the first kid that brought one to school heard, “Whoa! Where did you get that?” over and over again. The hottest shoes that boys are craving these days are the newest manifestation of the LeBron shoe line. The Nike Air Max LeBron VII won’t cause you jump out of the gym or hit jump shots from half court, but boy will they get folks to say, “Where did you get those?” And well they should for $160.00! To get a reaction from folks you don’t have to have the latest and greatest—you just have to have something that is unique. I’ll guarantee you that if you pull up in the parking lot some Sunday in a shiny 1976 AMC Pacer heads will turn and more than one person will smile and say, “Where did you get that?”
I want you to know that God is all for that which is “attention getting.” Just look at what He has created. How can you see the incredible beauty and variety of the colors and shapes of the creatures He has placed in the ocean and not be amazed? How can you stand on a snow covered mountain and watch snowflakes falling with the grace and elegance of a Baryshnikov and not be amazed? God has placed within us an attraction for the magnificent. He has placed within us a propensity for wonderment, but rather than being amazed at what is truly amazing, we’ve become amazed with stuff.
In Matthew 15, the people who were in the presence of Jesus were amazed at what He did for those who had debilitating needs. Read along with me from Matthew 15:30-31.
30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. (Matthew 15:30-31 NIV)
What did they do when they broke out in amazement? They praised God. Our wonderment, our amazement, should lead us to praise God, to draw near to God. (more…)