Day 2
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. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they were written. The days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them. If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. (Psalm 139:13–18)
In this Psalm, written by David, we hear God’s caring heart. David knows he is a treasured masterpiece of the Master’s design. And because David knows, we can feel God’s goodness overflowing to us through this psalm. Can you imagine being treated with such adoring care?
David knows the reverence and wonder of God’s design of you and me. You are uniquely handcrafted by God. He tenderly knit you together in your mother’s womb and molded you according to His perfect design. He created you and gave you the gift of life. He gave you the gift of your own unique self.
Like an artist expertly blends the colors and carefully considers every detail of her painting, so God perfectly designed you. Just as an artist enjoys painting, so God enjoys making you. As an artist delights in the masterpiece she created, so God delights in you—His living masterpiece.
God didn’t just fashion you and then leave you to take care of yourself. His heart is forever for you. He cares about what happens to you every day of your life. He thinks precious, loving thoughts toward you—more in number than the sand on the seashore. He will never leave you nor abandon you. Even when you are unaware of His presence—even when you feel alone—God is with you.
David said, “When I awake, I am still with You.” When we “awake” from our wandering, sin, and unbelief, we come to our senses and find that God is still there. No sin is too horrible, no religion too oppressive, no demonic power too strong to separate you from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ. In Christ, you are forever cherished.
This is the truth, but it is OK if you do not believe it. God understands your heart. He knows how you were raised and the traumas and hurts that make it hard for you to believe that He cares. God knows your religious, cultural and family upbringing. He understands how your thoughts about Him do not line up with the truth of who He really is.
But David knew the truth of how he was carefully and lovingly made and treasured by God. He said, “Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” It was that knowing that allowed David to speak as he did. Through his eyes we see God as David knew Him to be.
Over and over again in different ways, we need to learn of God’s lovingkindness and let it silence the wrong thoughts we believe about Him … and about ourselves. Repeatedly, in different settings, we need to see the truth and let it renew our minds. Over and over again, in different seasons of our lives, we need to experience His heart for us … so we can come to know God as He really is and know ourselves as part of His treasured design.
Ponder for a Moment
David writes, “How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them. If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand.”
What are some precious thoughts you hope, deep down in your heart, God is thinking about you?
How does it make you feel to realize God’s thoughts towards you are actually far more precious and kind than you can even hope or imagine?