Psalm 139:14 (MSG) says, “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made!”
Other versions translate this verse as “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
When I first read Psalm 139:14, I, of course, thought it great that I was “wonderfully” made, and it seems I spent all my time, when thinking about this verse, landing squarely on the phrase “wonderfully made.”
If people are going through a tough time and I feel it’s my responsibility to make them feel better—which, by the way, isn’t usually healthy—this verse is a go-to. If I can help them, even for a moment, recognize that they are “wonderfully made,” I’ve done a good thing.
They are incredible. The Lord put them together exactly the way he wanted them to be. I can go through a litany of phrases with anyone who feels self-image-shamed, filled with guilt over past mistakes, or fearful that the Lord or people have forgotten them. I can remind them, as I do myself, that we are “wonderfully made.” That really is a good, sustainable concept. But I think it leaves out the single most pivotal point of the verse.
When I tell people they are “wonderfully made,” if I leave that as a stand-alone thought, it could possibly lead to selfishness or a sense of entitlement, as if somehow we are owed some gift or merit awards because the Lord thinks we are off da hizzle.
The truth is, he does think we are wonderful. But why does he believe this? First and foremost, he showed us how wonderful we are by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
And even that love leads to the most critical part of verse fourteen. There’s a reason David began the verse with the word fearfully. He wanted us to understand that although we are wonderful, the goal was that the Lord God, the Creator of the entire universe, reverently and with the highest expectation and design put us together molecule by molecule, cell by cell, atom by atom.
The Hebrew meaning for fearfully in this verse means “reverential awe” or “worshipful respect.” We were created by the Lord reverently and in worshipful awe. Not that we are worthy of worship. But we were created in wonder by the One who is worthy of worship. There is no assembly line. There are no prefab molds. There was only God; nothingness; and, most surprising, his imagination. A clean slate.
There was an intense, holy time when God fussed over you and me. A fervent anticipation of who he planned for us to be. Why did he give each person on this planet such deferential treatment? Because he is faithful and solemnly serious to see his plans fulfilled.
Ephesians 5:11–20 (MSG) says,
Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ … Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants … Drink the Spirit of God, huge droughts of him … Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Why did God take on the self-imposed assignment of creating you? For his glory. God wants the world to see through you that he is good in every circumstance. He is reliable. He is faithful. He is unchanging in his mercy, wisdom, and holiness. He is not willing to waver in his devotion and interest in even the minutest aspects of your life.
Realize the exactness of who you are in him. Recognize and fully accept the bottomless implications of why the One who holds the universe in place would take the time to fuss over creating you. Those truths crystallize every application of every thought, every display of compassion, every song, every learned eccentricity, every choice, every time you think you chose intuition, the guiding of his Spirit, every judgment you hold captive, every meal you make, and every soul you lead to Jesus.
First Corinthians 12:12–31 (MSG) says,
You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything … Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less … But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of … The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part … You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything.
There is no one else in this room right now but you. So you can’t say, “That’s true for everyone here but me. It makes sense for them, not me.” You are the only one here. I believe God is saying the following to you and to me:
I made you. I made you reverently. I thought about you. There’s not a single soul on this planet who can do what I’ve made you to do. No one can—only you. I fearfully made you. So stop being afraid. You no longer have permission to think that you are a less important part of the body I specifically, carefully, and with great hope and dogged determination designed.
Seek wisdom from those who’ve been at it longer. Learn to be confident, adventurous, daring, courageous and unflinching with your faith, intrepid, and fearless and wholesome with your words.
Before I created the world, I chose you. And because of my Son, no matter what you think of yourself, I choose you to be holy and without fault before him. And I am calling you to travel together with the rest of the body. Stay together. I have given you gifts that no one else in the history of time can fulfill. Your gifts. Moses wouldn’t be able to fulfill the plans I have for you. Not Abraham or Paul or any of the apostles. Not Lydia, Ruth, or Esther. My plans for you are unique in all the world.
Don’t go along with the crowd. And don’t believe their weak expectations of me or my love and my heart for your success. Trust me. I’m worth it. And above all, stick together. That’s how the body will work. I knew you before “In the beginning” was written. And rest assured of this: I’ll be with you day after day after day, right up to the end of the world.
