“Wonderfully Made”
Psalm 139:1-18
Psalm 139 as rendered by Anita Magovern
The Hebrew Bible contains 150 psalms—prayers, songs, poems, blessings and conversations between the children of God and their Provider, Defender, and Shepherd, their Creator, Potter, Knitter and Weaver, their Divine Parent, Righteous Judge, Merciful Redeemer, and Relentless Lover.
Some of the psalms are about God, while others are addressed directly to God—as prayers and songs of praise, as complaint, as confession, as lament, trust, meditation, thankfulness, anger and awe. Many of the psalms were written by King David, and some of them even include some basic information about the origin of the prayer.
Some psalms, for example, were written as Israel was about to go into battle—and so they plead with God for strength and protection, even for victory. Others were written in the wake of defeat or serious illness, and they beseech the Holy One for healing, strength and renewal. Still other psalms pray for the defeat of Israel’s enemies, for justice in the face of oppression. Some are songs of worship, and others beg God for the forgiveness of sins.
But we don’t know the circumstances behind the 139th Psalm. David is believed to have written it, but we don’t know what events or feelings inspired it.
And . . . as with all of scripture, we can wonder. We can imagine. We can study. We can meditate on it and consider its meaning; we can try it on for size and see if it rings true to us and our own feelings and experiences. We can listen to it, trying to hear between the lines the voice of the Stillspeaking God. We can choose to believe that there is within it truth that we can trust, good news that will bring light in the darkness and hope in times of struggle or despair. Or, if that feels like a stretch, we can at least contemplate what it might have to do with our lives here and now.
And we can wonder and imagine together.
When it comes to Psalm 139, I wonder if the psalmist is someone who is far away from home, has had a hard time making friends in a strange place, and feeling lonely. Or, worse yet, perhaps she feels alone even when she’s with people who’ve known her for years on end.
And so she pauses to remember that there is someone who is with her no matter where she goes or how she feels, and that this Presence knows her completely and loves her unconditionally.
Or maybe the psalmist is a young person graduating from high school or college and feeling uncertain about what comes next. Or it could be that the psalmist is an older person retiring from the workforce and wondering who they will be without a job and a title. Or perhaps the psalmist is confronting the challenges of aging, and wakes up some mornings feeling their body has turned against them.
And so they reflect on the truth that God knows all their ways, all the seasons of their life, the ins and the outs, the ups and the downs, and is with them through it all. Maybe they consider that God has always been with them and will never leave them, no matter what. Perhaps they can choose to focus on the wonders of their God-given body.
Maybe the psalmist is grieving the loss of a loved one, and wondering what happens after a person takes their last breath. Maybe the psalmist is nearing the end of their own life. Maybe the psalmist doesn’t know what to believe about what happens after death.
And then they remember that that’s okay. That it’s all a mystery, meant to be trusted more than understood. That the only thing certain about the end and what comes after is that we are still with God and God is still with us. That God’s love is with us in our grief.
Maybe the psalmist is a parent of young children, constantly vacillating between energizing, heart-bursting feelings of love and the impatience and occasional anger brought on by utter exhaustion.
And so the parent takes a moment to remember that they, too, have a Parent, that they are a child of God, someone whose love for them and patience with them will never run out.
Maybe the psalmist is overcome by shame and guilt, worried that they will never be able to reveal their true self to another, certain that they’ll never get out of this deep hole their life has become, convinced they’re unworthy of love.
But then the scriptures remind them: There is nothing about them God doesn’t know. They can stop trying to hide what they’ve done or who they are. God knows. God sees. God feels their struggles and pain. And God wants to love them through the night and into the dawn of a new day.
It could be that the psalmist is struggling with depression, and wondering if life is worth living. Maybe the psalmist is starting to come to terms with their sexuality and gender identity and just doesn’t know what to make of it. Maybe they have moments when they yell at God, saying, “Why did you make me like this?”
And then someone tells them. Then they remember that God doesn’t make junk. Someone on a street corner or at a church potluck, a Sunday school teacher, a youth minister, a choir member or director, a deacon or a greeter, a parent, a friend, or a pastor tells them in no uncertain terms:
You—yes, you—are a beloved child of God. You are not an accident. You are no misfit. You are a work of divine art.
The Holy Artist took great pains with you, knitting you out of dust, weaving you together with great care, molding you like clay, with much love, until you were just right.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and don’t ever, ever, ever let anyone tell you any different. I know it doesn’t feel that way sometimes, and I know it’s hard to understand, but I believe with all my heart this is who you are: beloved. You are loved more than you could ever imagine, and that this love will always be with you, wherever you go, whatever you do or don’t do.
Yes, I know life isn’t always easy. I know there will be times when you want to give up. I’m pretty sure you’ll make mistakes—lots of little ones, and maybe a few big ones. I realize that you will need to find and make your own way, and that you may rarely think of God. You might even reject God altogether, at least for a time.
But our psalm tells me this: No matter what, God will never leave you. Even during those times when you are so angry at God and disappointed in the church that you swear you’ll never come back, God will be right there with you. Even if you decide you don’t believe, that you won’t believe, that you can’t believe, God will never stop believing in you. The Divine Artist will never give up on the holy work of art that is you.
Yes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
And God is not finished with you yet.
Thanks be to God!
