I am fearfully and wonderfully made
I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Psalms 139:13-14 - When you really start to think about the complex design of the human body and how it works, it should cause you to be awed and astonished.
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“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Psalms 139:13-14 NIV
If there is one verse in the entire Bible that explains in no uncertain terms that life begins at conception, it is Psalm 139:13.
King David, the psalmist, realized in his day that God knew him well before his birth, after he had been conceived and was developing in his mother’s womb. God is concerned about human lives from the moment of conception, and His people have the responsibility to care for children in the womb.
Back in the days when I openly mocked God and believers, I was also a supporter of abortion rights. My views have made a 180° turn since then. In those dark days, I would have followed the shallow “party line” that said that it was a woman’s choice to do what she wants with her own body. Now it is crystal clear to me that God sees an unborn child as another person, not as a clump of cells that can be disposed of as a woman sees fit. I cannot and will not contradict the Creator of the universe!
After that opening verse, David goes on to praise his Maker for his life in beautiful and poetic terms. You might wonder about the word “fearfully” — the ancient Hebrew word is יָרֵא (yārē'), with one translation being “to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe”. When you really start to think about the complex design of the human body and how it works, it should cause you to be awed and astonished. Thanks to modern medicine and science, know much more than David did about how the human body works, which should create an even greater sense of awe and wonder in us than he felt!
I’ll finish this short devotional with four commentaries from Enduring Word, made by Matthew Poole, Charles H. Spurgeon, and John Trapp respectively:
ii. “Thy infinite power and wisdom, manifested in the rare and curious structure of man’s body, doth fill me with wonder and astonishment, and with the dread of thy majesty.” (Poole)
iii. “The Psalmist had scarcely peered within the veil which hides the nerves, sinews, and blood-vessels from common inspection; the science of anatomy was quite unknown to him; and yet he had seen enough to arouse his admiration of the work and his reverence for the Worker.” (Spurgeon)
iv. “The greatest miracle in the world is man; in whose very body (how much more in his soul!) are miracles enough (between head and feet) to fill a volume.” (Trapp)
v. “If we are marvelously wrought upon even before we are born, what shall we say of the Lord’s dealings with us after we quit his secret workshop, and he directs our pathway through the pilgrimage of life? What shall we not say of that new birth which is even more mysterious than the first, and exhibits even more the love and wisdom of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)
In light of my recent post on not judging others outside our faith, abortion should be considered a situation where we should judge others. I pray that our readers don’t think I’m being hypocritical here. It’s one thing to leave it to God’s justice and possible civil laws when someone is committing a sin against themselves or others — being “sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler” — but when someone is willfully considering murdering another unborn human being for the sake of convenience and the state sanctions this, perhaps it’s time to speak up, pray for them, and offer alternatives that support both lives.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
Heavenly Father, thank You for this beautiful Psalm on the sanctity of human life. Thank You that You gave me life, formed my inward parts, and have scheduled every day of my life. How I praise and thank You that I have been born-again into Your family, and have received a new life in Christ. Forgive me individually, and forgive us as a nation for the careless value that we too often place on life, and especially on the value of the unborn child. Bless and protect those that are pregnant and may those that are guilty of wittingly or unwittingly being involved in terminating a pregnancy, experience Your grace and forgiveness in their lives. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.