Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139:14 NKJV

Probably few of you remember my brief but illustrious career as a sculptor. Yup, back in thigh school I created several clay sculptures that inexplicably sold, (which might have a lot more to do with the fads of the 60’s than with artistic talent.) I am pretty sure these have all fallen apart by now, but during that time I learned a valuable lesson that has stayed with me. Working with clay is a process and says a lot more about the processor, than the processee, and this verse is not about seeing ourselves as a skillfully finished masterpiece, but about pointing to the Master who can make a silk purse out of anything! Instead of looking at today’s verse, as a way to build a healthy self-image, why not come away with a clearer view of how amazing God is? After all, if David were talking about himself, then we would need to figure out which part of his life was fearful and wonderful. So, let’s take a look at a few: David defeats Goliath – Yay! Fearful and wonderful. David is a jerk and sleeps with Bathsheba – Boo! Not wonderful at all! David writes the twenty-third Psalm, is crowned king of Israel and makes Jerusalem its capital – Yay! David is a big hypocrite, because after supposedly forgiving his enemies, he tells his son Solomon to wipe them out after his death – hmmm, not fearful or wonderful at all.

But before we think that we are somehow better than David, maybe we need to look in the mirror today. The encouraging part of this verse isn’t about how great we are, but about how fearful and wonderful is the one who is still in the process of working on us. Our hope is that when we look up on the shelf of those things that He has finished we can see how marvelous are all the works that He has completed – He touched the lepers and healed them, washed His diciples’ feet, calmed a storm, raised Lazarus from the dead and gave His life on the cross. Now those are fearful and wonderful works and to top them all off, Jesus walked out of the tomb on the third day to offer eternal life to all those who trust in Him. Right now, He is still able make our lives into something beautiful, if we will only believe in and yield to our sculptor’s hands. He is the one with the name that is wonderful, and He as the Master Artist, is willing to sign His name on us, the moment we fall at His feet and surrender our lives to Him!

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Come and Dine! – An Easter Message — Walking With Lambs

If you feel like you have been up all night fishing, without catching even a single one, you are in the same boat with the disciples. People who live in a nursing home, often wonder why God has allowed this to happen to them or if He has anything left for them to do. The good news of Easter and of today’s message is that no matter what has happened or how we feel, Jesus still has a job for us to do! I hope you enjoy this session recorded yesterday which includes the hymn, “Come and Dine!” Have a blessed weekend everybody!

Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. John 21:5-6 […]

Come and Dine! – An Easter Message — Walking With Lambs

The Cardinal’s Visit

Sir Cardinal came to visit
In his red coat and his hat
And soon began to sing and dance
As in our tree he sat

And while I listened to his tune
His Lady flitted down
She had come to join him dressed
In quiet grayish brown

Then with her song reminding him
Of nest and eggs and young
And how his heart must turn to home
Before his day was done!

The Cardinal’s Visit
By Peter Caligiuri
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Photo by Skyler Ewing on Pexels.com