Five-minute read.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Psalm 139:14a
Fearfully and wonderfully made.
As believers, we live with a sense of purpose more than any other creature. Knowing our Creator made us fearfully and wonderfully helps us live with a gracious purpose. Placing faith in Christ gives an awareness of grace and allows us to respond with thanksgiving and joy.
“Yare,” the original Hebrew word for fearfully, means “to revere.”[i] “Pala,” wonderfully in Hebrew, means “marvelous, be amazing,”[ii] Our Creator revered us, making us marvelous. God doesn’t make junk; no matter what others have told you, don’t believe them. People have said nasty things to me, told me my life had no value, and the air I breathe wasted on me. In eighth grade, a boy told me I had a big nose. We can’t base our value on what others say; they speak from imperfect places with wrong motives. But the Lord doesn’t. If our Maker made us fearfully and wonderfully marvelous beings with a grace-filled purpose, then we should believe those words.
“Love creates,” Ron often says. When He thinks of God and His creation, my husband views it from the perspective of love. The Lord made the world out of love; He created humans as an act of love. To love, one must have a choice. Forced affection doesn’t exist. God’s gift of free will allows us to love or not. Love requires action, and actions of love create.
Friends of ours bought a home in Florida, and she wanted custom wood trays to fit a couple of the windows. Since I began doing woodwork, I offered my services and created them with love. First, I chose the best wood in my little shop and sanded and painted it, careful to make no mistakes. Once finished, I carefully applied the polyurethane topcoat, sanding them between each layer to acquire a smooth and durable finish. Out of love, I created something for my friend, fearfully and wonderfully, to the best of my ability.
God chose each part of our being. Like I chose the best wood for the tray, the Lord decided what works best for us. Knowing our purpose, the Creator gave us the tools necessary to fulfill it. Our life circumstances help hone our skills and guide us to fulfilling our mission, already equipped with everything we need.
Helen Keller, born in 1880, lost her sight and hearing at 19 months of age. Her parents sent her to Perkins Institute, where she learned to communicate with the outside world through the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Helen spent her life helping others overcome overwhelming odds, like she did. Co-founding the American Foundation for Overseas Blind to support WWI veterans and the ACLU, she worked tirelessly for others.
Love, the all-important doctrine, is not a vague, aimless emotion, but the desire for good united with wisdom and fulfilled in right action.” –Helen Keller.[iii]
God made Helen fearfully and wonderfully; she believed in her gracious purpose and lived it out. Instead of questioning why the Lord made her as He did, Helen’s acceptance of her circumstances helped her overcome them, building her faith and becoming a beacon of hope for countless others. Knit together in her mother’s womb, Helen trusted the Lord, believed His word, and lived out her purpose.
Like Helen, God made us for a purpose. Fearfully and wonderfully, the Lord made each of us. Believing the promises found in scripture will lead us to fulfill our mission, one only we can do. Created out of love, we can share it with others, one act at a time.
Application:
Made well.
God created us perfectly for our mission on Earth. When a chef prepares a meal, he chooses the freshest ingredients and combines them in the right amounts at the right temperature. Creating a masterpiece takes intention but also knowledge of the result. A cook knows he doesn’t want his food burnt but cooked precisely so that it satisfies the tongue. And God knows, why He created us and what tools we will need to fulfill our purpose. The Lord doesn’t miss anything, making us fearfully and wonderfully to love and serve Him.
God’s masterpieces.
Journaling Questions:
- How has God made you fearfully and wonderfully?
- How can you discover your gracious purpose?
- What promises of God’s help you believe His word?
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for not valuing ourselves as You do. Please help us discover our gracious purpose, knowing You made us fearfully and wonderfully for it. Let us fulfill our destiny as we place our faith in You, believing Your promises. We give You the honor and glory for all we do. IJNIP. Amen
[i] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A14&version=NIV&tab=interlinear
[ii] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A14&version=NIV&tab=interlinear
[iii] https://annawoofenden.com/2013/03/17/helen-keller-a-woman-of-faith-and-action/
