Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139 is one of my favorites. I love it because when we pray it we are reminded that we are the work of God’s hands. I love the imagery! The Psalmist claims, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” I can almost picture God weaving the strands of DNA… 

The Psalm then continues: “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!”

Right out of college I taught High School. It used to break my heart to hear students put each other down because of their weight, height, or looks. It can be brutal, can’t it? But it also broke my heart because you know that when people put others down, most of the time it is because they don’t feel good about themselves.

In a day and age when so many people struggle with self-image, I wonder how many of us are teaching the truth of this Psalm to our children or to grandchildren? Do they know that they are fearfully and wonderfully made?” Do we know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made? 

Sometime back, our choir sang an anthem based on Psalm 139. The words were: 

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 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 remember today, Creator God, that we are the very work of your hands; a work of art! Give us eyes to see the beauty within ourselves and within each and every person we meet. Amen.