A Supernatural Bond
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2
Insight
Night after night, I remind my son before bedtime that when he came into this world, it was supernatural. He promptly concurs saying, “Because only God could do it.”
Joyfully enough, he and I have landed on that definition of supernatural. No matter how it’s described, it’s true for all of God’s children. In today’s verse, psalmist David tells of being “fearfully and wonderfully made,” so much so that he knows it down in his soul.
Several elements are at work in this verse. It is part of a praise of gratitude evidenced by the psalmist’s imagery of a personal connection with God. First, we read he is fearfully made. In Hebrew, this translates to the root word yara’ or “reverently.” As much as humankind (from the devout to the depraved) can come to revere God, He has first revered us with awe and honor as His creation.
Next, we read he is “wonderfully” made. A Hebrew translation here would result in the root word pala’ meaning “different, striking or remarkable.” God truly intended for each of us to be outstanding creations; unique through and through.
All too often though, we struggle with who we are. We spend quite a bit of time grasping at our identity as seen embedded in some earthly role. People can render the image of something noble pretty easily. Be it an artist, athlete, visionary or anything available, it’s easy to drift from a true identity defined in Christ. How then do we settle into the beauty that is identity in Christ?
Another look at Psalm 139 as a whole and there’s the Hebrew root yada’ or “to know” seen in a few forms. “O Lord, you have searched me and known me…my soul knows it very well.”
Knowledge of each other is a vital part of a relationship. God made us with intricacy. He knows our lives intricately. As His marquee creation, He loves us fiercely. In fact, He loves us so much that we will never reciprocate love that big. However, this makes God big enough to take on all our flaws and dilemmas, offering a firm place to lean and love in all situations. Since He knows us so endlessly well, we can trust in Him on and on. We can confidently approach Him with our fears, our serious questions, and our sin.
Our stories of a walk with the Lord will each read differently in the details, but the heart of them all is much like David’s. His closeness with God was a product of years of worries, trials, and missteps among praises and redemption too. Like the image of Peter stepping out from the boat in the gospel of Matthew, we can trust and boldly go to Jesus even in the midst of fear and doubt. When the waves around us make things shaky, threatening to sink our mortal selves, we can replace fear with the faith that He’s there to lift us up every time.
Reflection
Praise, prayers, and confessions are the backbone of an intimate relationship with God. What are yours today? Write them down and meditate on each.
It is only God who can take on all our groanings, field all our questions, and direct all our steps. What are those for you? How much have you invested them in a relationship with God?
Prayer
Lord, I praise You for Your beautiful creation. I am especially thankful that to culminate Your creation, we are indeed Your best work. Humble me and remind me of that often. Supply me the confidence to boldly trust in You with every decision, every action, and every relationship. Your love is unending, and in that I will find peace and joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Port City writer Adam King wrote today’s devotional.
