Fearfully And Wonderfully Made

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Click Here to Order This Card

Psalm 139:13-16
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. 

Through the yeas I have spent a lot of time encouraging people to not give up. To believe that in spite of their present circumstances that God has a plan. I have helped them to connect the dots to discover what Gods plans and purposes for their life might be. I help people get from where they are today to where they believe they want to be or God wants them.  Some are trying to overcome a bad habit or behavior and need some extra accountability and encouragement. Some are trying to reach for a dream that God has placed on their heart and are on a journey, taking purposeful steps to reach various milestones and goals.  Some are discouraged and fighting depression and need help to see that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an on coming train. They need hope. Some are dealing with broken relationships and need to work through reconciliation. For some that broken relationship is with God and they need help to see that He love us each where we are today. This past year I discovered a name for what I do, "life coaching." You can learn more about coaching by going to my coaching page using this link or the tab above.

All that so I can tell you this story.... I got a call from one of my coaching allies yesterday. Her young child was writing words on a paper. My coaching allie questioned her about what they said. Little children learning their letters write things that must be explained. The child responded that they say "I'm stupid".  "What should I do. She insists that she is stupid? "  We start getting bombarded by negative self talk and doubts at a very early age.  I suggested that she sit down with her and tell her what God says about her. It is easy to take on the wrong views of others and even our own wrong views when the view we need is that of the one who created us and knows the plans and purposes for our life. He knows why he created us, how he wired us, and why he has given us certain gifts, abilities and  talents. Sometimes we are trying to live up to the wrong yardstick.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” ~ Albert Einstein


I don't know who you are reading today but perhaps you struggle with berating yourself. Speaking doubt, unbelief and curses over your own life. Perhaps you have taken the mean, unkind things people have maliciously said to you and rather than resist those things you have looked at your circumstances and rather than see them from Gods perspective you have taken the Enemy of your souls perspective and joined the rabble to beat yourself up.

Its time to stop. Child of God, lets look at What God says about you.

Lets start with our verse today. You were not an accident - God created your inmost being, he knit you together in your mothers womb. He knew about your life before even one of your days started. 
He loves you and thinks you are wonderful.
In Genesis he completes his work of creating ( and that included making man and woman) and he says that it is good. Genesis 1:31 And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Sin entered the world and things became broken very early on.  God had a plan...Galatians 4:3-5 (NKJV) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

When we accept what Jesus has done on our behalf we become new creatures.
 

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I am hope that you already have a grasp of the basics of faith in Christ. God loves you so much that he sent his Son to take the punishment that you and I deserve. In Him justice is satisfied. In Him we are reconciled to the Father. 

The more we can begin to see ourselves as God sees and that He accepts the more we can walk in the freedom of who He has created us and called us to be. 

So here are some other verses to consider. These are some of the same verses I shared with my coaching allie.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Luke 12:7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Acts 10:34-35 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

If you search your Bible there are many verses about how much God loves you. None of us are good enough to stand before a Holy Righteous God by our own merit. It is only because of Jesus that we can inter into His holy presence. Jesus wants to help you to overcome the places of sin and darkness in your life. He wants to to be free from the things that have you bound, he wants you to grow and be fruitful for His glory.  He has sent his Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth. To be your comforter to help you navigate through this life.  We do not deserve, nor can we earn this love, we are not worthy, but we are valued, loved, desired and of great worth to God. 

I love this one from Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

I love the image of God singing loudly over me. I like that he will quiet me by his love. There are times we need to be reassured of his love. He loves us on our worst days and on our best days. He simply loves us. We are his creation, his beloved.  Its not about what you do but who you believe in. Jesus made a way for you to be right with a Holy God.

Sure there are always things in our life that we are working on and growing in but we can rest knowing that God loves us right where we are today and He has a good plan for us. Be open and honest about the struggles you are facing. David in the Psalms bares his heart over and over in the Psalms crying out to God for help. God already knows but he waits for you to be ready to share it with Him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Help us today to see our selves though your eyes. Help us see your love and delight in us. Come and quiet us with your love. Come sing loudly over us. Help us proclaim how wonderful you are, you, who has called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. Help us to find those things that you have created for us to do and to walk by faith in this adventure called today. We put our trust and faith and hope in you and are thankful that you know everything about us and still love us. Your love is amazing - Thank you Lord - I give you this day and invite you to walk with me through it for your glory.