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. The imagery is striking — the Psalmist writes, "You knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13) I can almost picture God weaving each strand together, deliberately, with care.

The Psalm continues: "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14)

Right out of college, I taught high school. It used to break my heart to hear students put each other down over their weight, their height, their looks. Teenagers can be brutal with one another. But what broke my heart even more was knowing that when people tear others down, it is usually because they don't feel particularly good about themselves either.

We live in a culture where so many people — young and old alike — struggle with how they see themselves. Social media has only made this harder, with its endless, curated comparisons — filtered photos, highlight reels, the constant temptation to measure our own ordinary lives against someone else's carefully edited one. 

I wonder how often we pass along the truth of this Psalm to the children and grandchildren in our lives, growing up inside all of that. Do they know they are fearfully and wonderfully made? For that matter, do you know it, about yourself?

Some time ago, our choir sang an anthem based on this Psalm. The words have stayed with me:

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.

That is true of you, exactly as you are — not the version of yourself you wish you could be, not the body or face or story you sometimes compare unfavorably to someone else's. You. Knit together with intention. Fearfully and wonderfully made.

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