Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

Colossians 1:15-17

When I was a kid, I was allergic to “everything,” as evidenced by the 72 scratches on my back, almost all with varying degrees of swelling, some minor, indicating a minor allergy, some angry painful welts.  This painful scratch test experience was followed by a two month elimination diet.  If I recall correctly, I could eat rice, chicken, apples and corn.  This was followed by weekly allergy shots.  For several months, the doctor kept dialing back the dosage, and they finally eliminated the shots.  No matter how low the dose, the painful swollen knot at the injection site was not worth whatever benefit I was getting from the shots.  (As an adult, for reasons I don’t understand, my allergies appear to be gone.)

My next personal medical memory is with pain killers when I was a teen.  For much of high school, I lived in a boot for treating metatarsal stress factors.  For whatever reason, I kept getting painful hairline fractures in my foot, with no real cause of the injury.  I believe there were five in total.  Sometimes, the pain was great, and I was given the choice of some powerful painkillers.  I chose to avoid them, because I remember that they made me feel bad, nauseous, not myself.  I preferred the pain to the side effects.

I knew from a young age, medically, that “we are uniquely and wonderfully made.” Over time, in a variety of circumstances, “we are uniquely and wonderfully made” became my fallback position to protest against one size fits all policies of any nature.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14 ESV

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14 KJV

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 NIV

At some point, I realized I was mis-quoting Psalm 139:14, yet I continued with my way, using it to convey my belief that God made each of us to be individuals, unique in their own way.

This weekend, I read an ethical challenge to one size fits all medicine, and it again brought me back to this verse.  That put me on a quest to understand more fully its Hebrew roots.

“Fearfully” comes from the Hebrew word yārē.  It illustrates the reverent process of making life and describes a sense of awe and wonder, more than fear.  “Wonderfully” comes from the Hebrew word pālâ.  It means that we are distinct and distinguished from other works of creation (supporting the notion that we are made in God’s image).  Pālâ also brings to mind that the DNA code for each of us is unique.  We are all made in God’s image, and we are all unique.[1]

My interpretation was both right and wrong.  Psalm 139:14 does mean that we are all uniquely made.  My way of saying it dropped the wonder of God’s creation, how miraculous the functioning of the body is, how it works together, how the mind works, our ability as humans to consider right and wrong, to consider the consequences of our actions, to make choices.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ 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.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:7-16 NIV

The diversity of thought, experience, perspective and mindset that God gave us makes the world beautiful.  It gives us the creativity of artists and the innovation of inventors.  I am glad that we are all unique in how we are formed and blessed with this fearful and wonderful diversity.  I also ache that sometimes our diversity can break us, in those many moments when we forget to treat those around us as being made in God’s image and worthy of respect.  It is easy to forget, when we encounter broken people, who lash out in anger or act in ways we do not understand.  It is in those moments, when it is most difficult to show kindness and respect, that we must try harder to follow these commands:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

DO not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Luke 6:37

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12:29-31

God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.  Acts 10:28

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.  Proverbs 31:8-9

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5-6

Dear God, thank you for making each of us to be unique.  Thank you for giving us people with different perspectives so we can learn from them.  Thank you for the beauty you offer when we all use our unique talents and share them with the world.  Dear God, thank you for being a God of mercy, who gives us opportunity to make mistakes but also to be forgiven.  Dear God, help me to treat others with respect, especially those who I might not agree with or who are different from me.  Guide my words so that I can know how to have constructive conversations with those who may not agree with me.  Dear God, be with the leaders of this country, and give them wisdom and discernment.  Dear God, if it is your time and your will, please bring peace to Israel.  Please use the challenges and chaos we face for good.  Dear God, your will be done.  In your name I pray, Amen.

“Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign LORD . Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD . Turn back and live! Ezekiel 18:30-32

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:2-7

The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. Psalm 27:1-7

Postscript: My time this morning was truncated because I went to vote (please vote, no matter how few the items are on the ballot in your locale).  I was thinking about Psalm 139:14 yesterday, so wrote first, and then turned to “Jesus Calling” and “The Songs of Jesus.”  Both fit perfectly with the other verses that came together this morning.  I’ll share from “Jesus Calling”:

“Collaborate with Me in this effort by being willing to let go of anything I choose to take away.  I know what you need, and I have promised to provide all of that abundantly! Your sense of security must not rest in your possessions or things going you way.  I am training you to depend on Me alone, finding fulfillment in My Presence.”

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[1] https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-does-psalm-139-mean-fearfully-and-wonderfully-made.html