A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


January 27, 2013

Psalm 139:13-16


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.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.


     Isn't this Scripture amazing?  I can hardly comprehend the profound message it is revealing.  It tells me that my God in Heaven has "created" and "woven" the very fabric of my being into something that is wonderful.  That means everything about me!  My height; the color of my eyes; the sound of my voice; how I walk; my naturally curly hair; the size of my feet; down to the placement of every mole and freckle .... he created my physical body, keeping in mind how He would use all my days for His glory.
     But not only did He form my "frame" and my "unformed body" as verses 15 and 16 tell me; but he created my "inmost being", as verse 13 relates.  This means that my emotional makeup and natural personality are no mistake.  My desire to closet myself away and bury myself in a book rather than desire the company of raucous crowds is the way God made me.  The fact that I cry easily and am moved by stories of sacrifice and unconditional love, is no accident.  I am "wired" this way because God "knitted" me together in the fashion He knew could serve Him best.
     Isn't that astounding?  God has created us both physically and emotionally for His good and His glory for the exact number of days He has planned for us --- and all before we even existed on this earth!  That doesn't mean that we can use this miracle of life to excuse our sinful ways ... "God made me this way!" doesn't let us off the hook for bad behavior.  That is just us acting out for our good and our self-interest.
     No, this Scripture should remind us that the things we are naturally drawn to --- whether it is art, or writing, or song, or athletics, or teaching, or welding, or math, or whatever; these are the things that God has uniquely wired into each individual.  And they have been placed there by God for "all the days ordained" for us.  However long He has predetermined our lives to be, He has made us "fearfully and wonderfully" for His purposes.   Our talents and our interests are to be used to fulfill His will for our lives, and ultimately to show Him to the world.
     This should give each of us pause.  How am I using all that He has made me to be for His good and His glory?  Why would I waste one minute of one day bemoaning what I don't have?  He has given me all I need to live a life dedicated to Him.  He has plans for me!  We should see our very existence through the lens of how God made us to reflect His glory.  Now, don't you feel special?  You should ... because you are!

8 comments:

  1. Great blog today and discussion of this Psalm! Thanks for sharing, will need to read this a few times more.
    CZ

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  2. I hope everybody reads it and comes to the realization that they are "wonderfully made", and have been designed with a purpose in mind and a goal to fulfill: to glorify the Lord and accomplish great things for Him!

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  3. Great post - one of my favorite " lean-ons " when things become overwhelming. As a former science teacher I had taught both AP Bio and Chem and it always was " interesting " to use the phrase ...." fearfully and wonderfully made " when some unique facets of the human's biochemistry were explained. For those who knew what I was talking about, there was precious eye contact that was revealing, and for those who knew not the scriptures, perhaps a friend might explain. A bit risky to be sure, but I could not refrain from this reference. I often couple these verse with II Peter 3:16 and think of the phrase - " in which are some things hard to be understood ". Now we see through a glass darkly, but one day we will see face to face and know all the fascinating details for this earth and the one to come. Your take on things are most welcome.

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    1. Bless you! It gives my soul a reason to sing to know that there are still teachers (especially Science ones!) that recognize their Creator and are willing to enlighten the young minds in their charge. I pray that the next generation of teachers will have your courage and your heart for God.

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  4. I want to thank you for the time time you spend writing your posts. They are truly a blessing to me. My husband and I have some conflict over why I don't spend my time shopping and lunching with the ladies at the club. He thinks I am a recluse and often asks me why I don't "ever leave the house". It is frustrating to me but I explain as best as I can. We live on a small farm and my days are spent tending the animals, the garden and preparing for tough times ahead. I have always been this way and now that the kids are gone I guess he just notices it more. My prayer is that I will be more attuned to his needs and expectations of me and that i will open to the prompting from Jesus my savior. This posting really spoke to my heart and brought things into focus on a personal level. May God bless you and your family. Thank you.

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    1. When you are true to who God made you to be, then you have no choice but to follow your instincts and embrace your personality .... whether it be extrovert or introvert, you will only be happy if you are being the distinctive person God created. I will pray that your husband will celebrate who you are and that together, you can appreciate each of your unique qualities. God Bless You!

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  5. ELECTION IS NOT PRESELECTION

    Calvinism teaches that a select few have been unconditionally elected for salvation, and that all others will spend eternity in hell.

    The elect of God are those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. The elect have not been individually preselected, by God, for salvation. All men have a choice to accept Jesus or reject Him.

    WHY INDIVIDUAL PRESELECTION IS NOT GOD'S PLAN!

    Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

    The gospel is the power for salvation to everyone. Preselection is not the gospel nor would preselection include salvation to everyone who believes.

    2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

    If you believe in preselection, then you have to believe that God wants the unselected to perish.

    Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.

    God's grace is not a preselection process. Grace is the opportunity for all men to be saved.

    Hebrews 2:9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that the by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

    Jesus died for everyone. God did not limit nor preselect the number for whom Jesus died.

    Romans 10:9-17...13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."......17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

    Faith comes from hearing the gospel preached. Faith does not come because it is imputed to a few preselected individuals.

    Acts 17:30-31 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

    Why would God call "all" men to repent, if men do not have free will?
    Why will Jesus judge the world if only the preselected will be saved? Why would the preselected have to be concerned about judgment if they are unconditionally saved?

    Acts 2:40 ...."Be saved from this perverse generation!"

    Peter preached the gospel on the Day of Pentecost. Why would he tell them to be saved if they already had been individually preselected for salvation? They would have had no choice in the matter.

    GOD DOES NOT UNCONDITIONALLY PRESELECT INDIVIDUAL MEN FOR SALVATION AND UNCONDITIONALLY SEND ALL OTHERS TO HELL.

    God does not force preselected men to BELIEVE (John 3:16)
    God does not force preselected men to REPENT (Acts 2:38)
    God does not force preselected men to CONFESS (Rom. 10:9)
    God does not force preselected men to be BAPTIZED (Acts 2:38)

    ELECTION IS NOT PRESELECTION!

    YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY CHRISTIAN BLOG> http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com

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    1. Steve, thanks for your well-presented argument. This is a topic that Christians have been debating since our Lord walked the earth, and it will not be solved to everyone's agreement in our life-time. In fact, I and several sincere believing friends debate the conundrum of election and freewill endlessly, and we all end up going in circles! We are trying to wrap our heads around it, but have decided that as man, we can not know the counsel of God, and will just have to wait until we are in His presence to receive the truth. God bless!

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