DAY 1: Read Ruth Chapter 3, Acts 1:1-10
Ruth 3:1-18 (KJV)
1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.
12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
14 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.Acts 3:1-10 (KJV)
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
One thing that can hinder revival is the lack of wonder – that is, when we lose our amazement and passion for God and His works. Wonder is defined in a couple of ways: 1) something extraordinary or surprising and 2) a deep emotion caused by the sight of something extraordinary.
Think of the most wonderful thing on earth you’ve experienced. How did you react? I recall my first visit to Walt Disney World in Florida. When I entered the main gate and stood on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom gazing at Cinderella’s Castle in the distance, my eyes got big and I was utterly amazed at the scene. That happened again when I first gazed out across the Grand Canyon, and again when I drove through the plains of Kansas into Colorado seeing the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in the distance for the very first time, and again the first time I sat in a football stadium with nearly 100,000 other fans at the big game, and again as I saw my bride walk down the aisle at our wedding, and again and again as I experienced new and different things that filled me with awe, surprise, and deep emotion.
To be quite honest, I’ve never lost my wonder at entering the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. I look forward to the next time I can peer out across the extraordinary beauty of the Grand Canyon. I have wide-eyed amazement whenever I see a mountain peak in real life, and while the big game doesn’t seem as big anymore, it’s still a thrill. More than all of that, my heart is filled with wonder, amazement and deep emotion every time I think of the beauty God has brought into my life through my precious wife. These wonders of life, family, children, and home are extraordinary things that never bore me.
Considering all of this, where does the wonder for God fit in? How wonderful is He and all of His works? Consider the beauty of the canyons, the majesty of the mountains, and even the God-given talents of men – shouldn’t the awe and wonder we have for the Creator rise above all of those? Sadly, for many Christians, there will be more wonder and amazement for today’s big game than there will be for God, even on a day set aside to worship Him!
When we lose our wonder for who God is and what He does, we get complacent and even bored with our Christianity. That’s a dangerous place to live. Thinking of the story of Ruth and Naomi, it’s like living in Moab when you could be living in Bethlehem during barley harvest.
Surely, Ruth experienced wide-eyed wonder when she encountered Boaz. As much as Boaz was smitten with Ruth, she recognized the privilege and honor bestowed on her by way of the attention Boaz gave her. She was willing to stretch herself and take risks to spend time with Boaz. I imagine that he was always on her mind and that she longed to spend time with him. Much to her wonder and amazement, in the end Boaz did what it took to win Ruth and redeem her love.
In much the same way, God has given His attention to you and me. He’s demonstrated His love toward us in extraordinary ways, none more amazing than through the grace He bestowed on us through His Son Jesus Christ. Yet, do we experience deep emotion when we encounter His hand at work in our lives or in the church? Do we still get amazed by His presence? Do we have a passion and wonder for God that makes us want to spend time with Him more than to the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, Walt Disney World, or today’s big game? It’s no wonder that we need revival… We need to seek revival with wide-eyed wonder for God, His Son and His works. Does your relationship with Christ bring you wonder and amazement, or does it need revival?
DAY 2: Read 2 Samuel 6:12-19. How did David express emotion as the ark of the Lord entered the city? Why would the arrival of the ark of the Lord be such a wonder to the people of Israel? How does your relationship to God bring you wonder?
2 Samuel 6:12-19 (KJV)
12 And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.
DAY 3: Read 2 Samuel 22:29-34. From this passage, what can you identify that brings wonder at the majesty of God? How does acknowledging God’s works in your life help you to have a passion for Him and for His church?
2 Samuel 22:29-34 (KJV)
29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
34 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
DAY 4: Read Luke 1:41-47. What caused Mary to have deep emotion for God? How does a close relationship with God increase your wonder and amazement for the things He does for you? List some of the things about God that you consider most amazing.
Luke 1:41-47 (KJV)
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
DAY 5: Read Luke 6:20-23. What are some specific reasons that people are blessed, as described by Jesus in this passage? What type of emotional response does Jesus expect from those who are reproached for His name? Does your emotional response to worshipping God exhibit true wonder and amazement for Him?
Luke 6:20-23 (KJV)
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
DAY 6: Read Acts 3:1-10. How did the lame man react to being made whole? How does the miracle of salvation make a sinner whole? On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being most wonderful, how would you rate your relationship with God? Would others see it that way based on your outward emotion?
Acts 3:1-10 (KJV)
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
DAY 7: Read 1 Samuel 17:17-22. Do you think David was eager to accomplish what his father requested of him? Why or why not? How did David react once he met up with his brothers? How excited do you get when you are asked to get involved in ministering to others?
1 Samuel 17:17-22 (KJV)
17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
