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Sunday, September 17, 2006

A Wonder

Psalm 71:7 - "I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge."

"Are you considered a WONDER unto many? You should be! People should wonder what in the world happened to you. Friends and co-workers should wonder what happened to the language you used and the jokes that you use to tell and listen to. They should wonder why you won’t go out to the bars or parties with them anymore after work. Your neighbors should wonder why it is that every Sunday morning and Sunday night they see you and your family dressed up and leaving for church instead of having that Bar-B-Q or going to the beach. Your family should wonder why things that would find their way on to your TV set just don’t seem to be there anymore. If you’re living a life for Christ, these wonders have taken place and maybe you don’t notice them. I guess the person that should be most amazed is you? Do you wonder why an almighty God would send His only Son to die for you? Do you wonder why out of the thousands and millions of people around you that God seems to have opened your eyes to the truth and now you are a child of God? Have you ever wondered how it is that God, who knows everything, says that He will remember your sins NO MORE? Oh, the WONDER of it all." -- by Franklin Senters,
Living in His Word Devotions for Sunday, September 17th, 2006

I received this devotion in the e-mail today, and it made me think of the following song, which is found in the Sacred Harp, p. 292. It is also in Goble's and Lloyd's hymn books. I do not know who is the author. In singing it, the phrase "Tis a Wonder" is repeated after each line, as noted on the first stanza below. Some Lloyd book singers in Texas repeat "Tis a wonder, wonder, wonder" after each line.

Oh! 'tis a glorious mystery -- 'Tis a Wonder
That ever I should saved be -- 'Tis a Wonder
No heart can think, no tongue can tell -- 'Tis a Wonder
The love of God unspeakable -- 'Tis a Wonder.

Great mystery, that God should place
His love on any of Adam's race,
That I should also share a part,
And find a mansion in His heart.

Great mystery, I can't tell why
That Christ for sinners came to die;
Should leave the boundless realms of bliss,
And die for sinners on the cross.

Oh! Why was I not left behind,
Among the thousands of mankind,
Who run the dang'rous sinful race,
And die, and never taste His grace?

'Twas love that spread the gracious feast;
'Twas love that made my soul a guest;
'Twas love that brought Him from above;
'Twas love, Oh! matchless, boundless love.

Not all the heav'nly hosts can scan
The glories of this noble plan;
Oh! 'tis a glorious mystery,
And shall be to eternity.

1 comment:

R. L. Vaughn said...

Sorry for the confusion. All of those six stanzas are evidently from the original poem. I just didn't want to take the time to paste "Tis a Wonder" after every line, so took the lazy way out! I don't know who wrote the poetry. I believe that these six stanzas can be found in both Goble's and Lloyd's hymn books, with slight differences between the two books.