WOW!

I have subscribed to Motor Trend Magazine for most of my adult life.  I can’t really remember when I started receiving the monthly journal.  It may have been when I was in Junior College, but it was definitely a regular sight in our home by the time Piper and I were married.  Over the years the magazine that was first published in September of 1949 with the tagline of “The Magazine for a Motoring World” by the Peterson Publishing Company in Los Angeles California, has changed ownership at least four times when Robert Peterson sold his publishing empire in 1996.

I personally feel that the magazine editorial flavor, car coverage and story content have suffered ever since that time!  Over the last few years though, I have picked up a sense of the humor and personal relational elements with the writers that marked the Peterson ownership.  But throughout it all, I have continued enjoying most of the articles, being awestruck as I read about some of the most outrageous and bodacious automobiles in the world, and dreaming about what it would be like to have a barn full of hot cars!

I guess that is one of the reasons that I also enjoy reading my Bible!  It continually causes me to be awestruck by the out-of-this-world encouragement, miracles, strength and potential that is available to me as a son of the living God.  Its words – His Words of truth - cause me to step beyond the limits of my own understanding into His “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 – KJV) and not only dream of big things, but also strive to actually attain them!

I had a difficult time staying asleep last night and found myself continually reviewing and meditating on the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 91:16…. “With long life will I satisfy him, and make him to behold my salvation.” (Jewish Publication Society Bible)  First of all I personalized the verse to read: “With a long life am I satisfying you Jim and Piper, and I am making you to behold My salvation.”

Then I considered that word “behold.”  Many of the other translations render it as “show” but I feel that “behold” best describes the feeling that the author is trying to convey.  One of the definitions that Strong’s gives is “to make to enjoy.”  The Expositor’s Bible Commentary renders it as “to revel in My salvation” or to “feast his eyes with.”  Those variations tend to help the reader pick up the sense of joyful awe behind the truth of this verse. 

Rick Renner who pastors the rapidly growing Moscow Good News Church in Russia, has written over thirty books and is known around the world as a gifted Bible scholar and teacher, defined the word “behold” in modern terminology as “Wow!”  Its actions of causing someone to fix their gaze on God and His endless possibilities and power while having your breath taken away as you are awe-struck by His love, grace and compassion accurately reflect the Psalmist’s thoughts of God making us to BEHOLD His salvation!

Remember also that “salvation” in both the Hebrew and Greek yields inference to “all of God’s redemptive processes” as explained by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield in his 1909/1917 Scofield Reference Bible, which many consider to be “one of the most influential theological works of the early 20th century.” (http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/srn/)

As I whirled this verse around in my mind last night, I got to the point where I was almost laughing in bed as I joyfully declared that “Papa God wants to ‘WOW’ me and Piper with all of His redemptive processes!”  Think on that for a moment or two… The God of the universe earnestly desires to “WOW” us with ALL His redemptive processes.  He wants to “WOW” you and me with the fullness of life that starts now and continues into eternity!  He wants us strong, wise, healthy and with every need met while having more in store to give to others.

“WOW!”  That’s all I can say about that!  The more I think about it, the more I understand why God wants… and has empowered you and me to be actively walking in His JOY while letting this - His secret weapon - splash onto others!

So reach out toward Him today and allow Him to make you BEHOLD His salvation.  Let go of any restraint and let Him “WOW” you with ALL of His redemptive processes!  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… “What or Who am I expecting to ‘WOW’ me today?