The Lord has been working in me, teaching me about the dangers of comparison. I spent a good part of my devotional reading this summer in Psalm 73, which talks extensively about the subject. The writer talks about nearly losing his foothold (v. 2-3) and behaving like an emotional “beast” before the Lord (v. 21-22) because he got caught up in comparing himself to others. Only when he settled into God’s presence (v.16-17) did he have the right perspective of himself (v.23-28).Read more »
Category: wonderfully made
The Lord has been speaking to me quite a bit from Psalm 139. These lessons are helping me understand my value in Him. Yesterday, I learned a truth worth repeating to myself multiple times a day:
My value comes from being created in His image.
Today, the Lord turned the lights on (so to speak) when I read verse 14 of the psalm. It states that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” If you’re like me, in the church for more than half your life, then you’ve heard this verse a gazillion times.
Before I could rush on to the next verse, the Holy Spirit nudged me to look closely at the verb phrase and its tense.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. The tense of “am” speaks to an unbroken continuity. The tense of “made” speaks to completion. I have been fully made in a way that inspires awe, reverence, and wonder… and it is an ever-present state.
That struck me. This scriptural truth revealed that, down deep, I believe that I was once-upon-a-time created wonderfully, but the world and I have ruined me. Wrong.
God is telling me and you today that what He has made is wonderful. We are awe-inspiring evidence of His creative power.
Exchange your self-criticism and self-loathing for awe. He made you in His own image!
awe-inspiring
My baby’s favorite place to hang out is on the back patio. He’s quite the outdoorsman already. We have a swing out there, and some days the only way to soothe him is to sit out there with him on my lap and swing him to sleep. As he sits on my lap facing forward, all I can see is the top of his head and his chubby legs sticking out.
We all know that God speaks in our quiet moments, so it was no surprise that God whispered some loving thoughts to me as I swung my baby boy.
I was observing his little hair patterns. His hair begins in a perfect swirl in the center of the top of his head. I can see the very first hair that sets off the pattern. I can see the many hairs that follow suit. It goes around and around covering his sweet head.
God whispered….
I am in all the details.
I orchestrated a perfect beginning for your life.
Every moment, every detail flows in the pattern that I decide.
My design for your life is beautiful.
I have it all covered.
Just trust Me.