Fearfully and Wonderfully

If we talk about the things that the Lord has made, it is only natural to start with the thing He made that is most important to Him.  Yeah, that would be us.  

I really like to look at the context when it comes to a verse like this, especially before I start to break it open!

Before this verse was verse 13, which briefly reveals to us that the Lord knew us.  Even more so than that, He knit together who we were in our mother's womb.  I love that the Psalmist uses the world "knit."  Anyone that has knit understands how intentional you have to be to knit.  How knitting is delicate.  When He created us, it was a delicate and intentional process.  Who are we to doubt Him or question His decisions about His creation.  We are precious to Him, we are His works of art!

Verses 15 and 16 talks about how God had a plan and knowledge of each of us before our existence.  Our form He knew, sure, but also our very being.

Verse 14 uses the words fearfully and wonderfully to describe how He makes us.  Here's what both of those words say to me:

fearfully: carefully, deliberately, intentionally, with complexity, and with careful consideration for every piece.

wonderfully: good.

He didn't just create us.  He did it with great heart. 

Man I'm hard on myself.  From my mom bod to how I can easily be the loudest and most obnoxious person in the room, I sometimes consider myself way too much for others to handle...and definitely too much to love.  I'm often failing at doing absolutely everything I consider necessary in life.  And in that same way, I feel as if I am not enough.  All these thoughts can be put to death in this ONE VERSE that says all of these things about myself I'm unsure of or ashamed of were SPECIFICALLY and CAREFULLY chosen for me.  He knew what He wanted for me, and He created me thusly.  

He created you.  You are fearfully and wonderfully MADE.  You didn't just happen, God speaking to you.  He MADE you.  He sat down at His table, or stood at His canvas, or however He makes people, and He thought about you.  He considered you, planned you, and then He MADE you.  You are not an afterthought, an accident, a mistake, an extra, a consolation, or a failed experiment.  You matter.  

And He does not create bad things.  All His creations are good.  We are considered the greatest aspect of His creation, and His creation was and is good.  The last part of that verse says that His "works are wonderful, I know that full well."  He doesn't do subpar work, He is no amateur.  You were created by the Master Craftsman.
My ESV translates that last part "I know that full well" a little differently.  It says, "my soul knows very well."  I love this.  It reassures me that if I'm honest with myself, I know all of this to be true.  I am MADE by a MASTER CRAFTSMAN for a specific PURPOSE.  My soul knows.

I have a beautiful friend.  She's gorgeous inside and out.  And after Will was born, she encouraged me to speak kindness out loud to myself, stop putting myself down.  Ever since she told me that, I've seen myself differently.

I'm absolutely a sinner.  A faulty person.  I'm a hot mess. 
But I'm also a masterpiece, created by the King.

And so are you.
Behave thusly.