“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:9-11)

I love this epic version of the old Appalachian Christmas carol “I Wonder as I Wander.”  It captures for me the breathtaking nature of the Lord’s love for us.  We have not earned the Lord’s love.  He does not owe it to us.  We did not make overtures of love toward him.  He was the initiator from first to last.  “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us…”  I will never completely understand that kind of love.  I do not have to understand it though to accept it.  I accept it and my breath is taken away by the wonder of it all.  For a poor on’ry person like me, my Savior Jesus came and died.   

I WONDER AS I WANDER

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus my 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

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing
Or all of God’s Angels in heaven to sing
He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King

Oh, yes! He was the king! Hallelujah!

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus my 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