Luke 2:11 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
I’ve always liked the Christmas carol, “I Wonder As I Wander.”
I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.
For poor on’ry people like you and like I…
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.
Its clever wordplay and moving melody remind me of someone who is, well, wandering. Wandering can be exciting and adventurous, like J.R.R. Tolkien’s hobbits: “All those who wander are not lost.” But some wandering can be a symptom of independence. The psalmist cries out for God to help him not wander from his commands (Psalm 119:10). Maybe it’s what we’re wondering about when we wander that determines where we stand.
The exciting kind of wandering comes when birthed from a sense God is with us. Knowing the Almighty God directs us to new places to complete new purposes has a way of filling us with awestruck wonder. God, why would you let me experience such vitality, such beauty, such a sense of fulfillment? My friend who obeyed the nudge of the Lord last year to make a six-month commitment to YWAM can tell you about this kind of wandering.
The troublesome kind of wandering comes when we fail to consider what God thinks about it. We don’t seek him in our decision making. Maybe we’re afraid if we take our plans to the Lord, he’ll nix what we want to do. Or maybe we get impatient waiting for him to speak, so we choose to move on our own understanding. That’s what happened to Israel after leaving Egypt. How did 40 years of wandering in the desert work out for them?
For most of us Christmastime brings with it a bevy of activity. We wander from mall sales to website specials. From baking cookies to attending festive parties. From decorating Christmas trees to family gatherings. We know how vital it is not to “forget the reason for the season,” but pausing to ponder how Jesus came seems as distant as Bethlehem.
So I pray in all your wandering this Christmas, you will take time to wonder about the amazing unfathomable act of love that occurred 2,000 years ago when a Savior was born for on’ry people like you and like I.