Wonderfully Made and Deeply Loved

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  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.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; 
all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16 NIV)

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NIV)

We tend to view people’s handiwork as a whole.  We may admire it, but we don’t give much thought to the detailed work that went into it.  Most of us look at a painting, but don’t pay close attention to the particular brush strokes.  Or in touring a new house, we respond to the overall feel of it rather than, say, what went into laying those hardwood floors.  

But what you create yourself is a whole different matter.  You know every detail that went into it.  My wife and I are proud of the way our house has been transformed over the past three years we have lived in it.  And when people come over, they usually express appreciation for how it looks. But they have no idea of the work that was involved to make look like it does. That is the difference between being the creator and being an admirer.  The creator is fully invested in every aspect of the creation.  He is always going to have a greater appreciation for his work than someone who is merely admiring it.  

David beautifully describes God’s creation of a baby inside a mother’s womb.  And it reveals clearly His investment in His creation.  He knows every detail.  And from David’s description, we can almost hear God say, “It is good.”  The Creator appreciates His own work.  

This Christmas season we celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world. He came to make His home among us—evidence of His appreciation for that which He created. We were in trouble and He came to save us. We were in darkness and He came to lead us back to the Light.  He came because each of us is His handiwork and His appreciation of us is great.

Today, and every day, remember He came and made His home among us because we are each His creation, wonderfully made and deeply loved.

© Jim Musser 2017