Helping Women Find their Identity in Christ

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Psalm 139:13-14 NKJV

David was the author of this psalm, and he had a very close relationship with God. David poured his heart out to God either in praise or in pain. In these verses, David expresses his admiration at the way God took his time to form and develop him at conception.

The Lord Protected Us in the Womb

“…you covered me in my mother’s womb.” The New King James Version uses the word “cover” to translate this section of verse 13 which means to weave together or knit as seen in other translations.

Cover not only means to weave together but also to protect or defend, as used in Exodus 33:22: 

“When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.” Emphasis mine.

Exodus 33:22 NIV

The Hebrew word used for cover here is the same as in verse 13 of Psalm 139. Therefore, the Lord not only weaved all our muscles, bones, blood vessels, nerves, and other organs together, He also protected us while we were still developing. Job 10:9-12 best describes this process:

Remember that you made me from dust—
    will you turn me back to dust so soon?
You guided my conception
    and formed me in the womb.
You clothed me with skin and flesh,
    and you knit my bones and sinews together.
You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love.
    My life was preserved by your care.

Job 10:9-12 NLT

Your DNA Makes you Unique

Think about your DNA. Askinglot.com describes DNA as “the material that carries all the information about how a living thing will look and function. Each piece of information is carried on a different section of the DNA. These sections are called genes.” Genes determine characteristics like your hair or eye colour, even your natural abilities. It is what makes you, you.

DNA is unique to each person. So, imagine in a world population of 7.9 billion people, no one else has your DNA. How awesome is that! This alone supports the existence of a God who created every one of us unique and special.

dna helix
Image by Darwin Laganzon from Pixabay

The Lord is Aware of Our Thoughts and Feelings

“For you formed my inward parts.” On the other hand, this verse hints at more than just the formation of bodily structure, it includes our thoughts and emotions as well. The Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) translates this verse as: “You formed the way I think and feel.” Because God created us, he knows us inside out. He knows our thoughts, emotions, and motives. Jeremiah 17:10 puts this into perspective:

“I the Lord search the heart
    and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”

Jeremiah 17:10 NIV

Therefore, God is responsible for every aspect of your character and personality. There was a time when I hated my personality. I am introverted and timid, which means I am taken advantage of a lot. I felt I became this way because of childhood circumstances. Now, I have come to terms with the way I am even though I have no right to be victimized, used or abused. God made me this way to fulfil whatever purpose he has for me, and He will guide and protect me while I carry out his business.

We are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” In the original Hebrew language, this means we are distinguished and set apart. Again, this shows our uniqueness. I love Warren W. Wiersbe’s explanation:

“God forms us as he wants us to be, and we must accept His will no matter how we feel about our genetic structure, our looks, or our abilities…the Lord did more than design and form our bodies; He also planned and determined our days. This probably includes the length of life and the tasks He wants us to perform.” 

Warren Wiersbe BE Bible Study Series

You are special to God. He loves you and cares about you. He knows you inside out, including your thoughts and feelings. You deserve respect as a person created in the image of God. Most importantly, you must love and respect yourself. Remember this the next time you face adversity. No matter what anyone says about you, you are a child of God, his work of art, his masterpiece.

You are special, distinguished, and set apart to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). Give God your life every day. Give Him every doubt, every situation. Read His Word and listen as He speaks to you through it. Remember, you are God’s masterpiece.

Prayer

Lord, You knew me and had a plan for my life long before I was even born. You know every detail of my life, my thoughts, feelings, and motives. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and I surrender my life to You and Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond

What does it mean to you to be fearfully and wonderfully made? In what way can your character help you to do the work God prepared for you to do?

author

Lisa Marcelina lives in Trinidad and Tobago. She loves hiking, running and playing board games with her two children.

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