Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139 is one of my favorites. If we pray it, it reminds us of the truth that each and every one of us is created by God. We are the work of God’s hands. 

I love the imagery. Verse 13 claims, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (I can just picture God weaving together the strands of DNA!) And then in verse: 14, “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!”

What does it mean to be fearfully and wonderfully made? 

Perhaps this could also be translated, as “Full of awe,” or “astonishingly.” I praise you, O God, for I am made with awe and wonder… I praise you for I am astonishingly and wonderfully made.

In a day in age when so many people struggle with self-image, I wonder how many of us have fully embraced this message.  

Years ago, I heard a pastor say, “I think we need a new way of seeing. We need to learn to see one another and ourselves with the eyes of God. We need to learn to listen and sense the soul beneath the skin, the beauty and strength within.”

Sometime back, our choir sang an anthem based on this Psalm. The lyrics are as follows:

In the beginning, God shaped and formed me. I am skillfully and wonderfully made. I am the image of my Creator. In every part of me, His likeness is displayed.

For his own own purpose, God shaped and formed me. I have a place within his plan. I am in the image of my Creator. My past and future are secure within his hand. 

Let us pray: We thank you, O God, for creating us in your own image, and for loving us beyond measure. I pray that you would meet us today at the deepest point of our need. Recenter us. Heal us. And empower us to share your love. In Jesus; name. Amen.