"I Wonder"

I wonder that I wandered,

So far away you see,

That even in the bed of hell,

The Good Lord rescued me.

I wonder that I pondered,

With thoughts so dark and small,

But that the Good Lord’s wisdom,

Could transform me at all.

I wonder that I yondered,

With the sinners fast who ran,

But the Lord’s pursuing Spirit,

Showed what He could and can.

I wonder that I squandered,

Countless blessings great and small,

Even so the Good Lord blessed me,

And loved in spite of all.

I wonder that He laundered,

Washed me white as white can be,

Though all my sins were scarlet,

He saved and pardoned me.

I wonder that He conquered,

Every stronghold with a grip,

Broke every chain asunder,

Gave me His fellowship.

I wonder I’m now under,

The reign of grace so free,

And brought about salvation,

For someone as lost as me.

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst of sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16, NLT)

Paul was always aware of his history and what the Lord had done for Him. This helped him guard against any self-righteous judgment of others. He realized his testimony was something God would use to give people hope. If the Lord could save and use a terrorist like Paul, there was good reason to believe God could do the same for anybody. This is the essence of every testimony. Our personal experience of grace is meant to be shared. We are God’s advertisement that anyone can believe and receive eternal life.

Lord, use our testimonies to touch the lives of others, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mikel Donahue, used by permission. Thanks, Mikel, and God bless you.