Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139:13-18 NIV

[13] For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. [14] I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. [15] 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. [16] Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. [17] How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! [18] 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. …

Psalm 139 is beautiful, it reminds us that we are created by a wonderful God.  We are part of creation, part of his grand design for this world.  It also reminds us that God never leaves us, we cannot escape him.  Not even if we run to the farthest corner, God is there.

That is such a wonderful thing to remember when we feel burdened or  even at our wits end.  No matter how desperate our situation, we are never alone.

Some will say that if God really cared, we wouldn't have to face such difficulties, but that is the price of our free will, that is the price of evil having entered our world.

We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.  Let us walk hand in hand with the one who created us.

Living in eager anticipation

Now that my units of Faith and Worship are submitted, I must patiently await my results.  In the meantime, I have Wesley's sermons to study, services to lead, my stewarding tasks to be completed and somewhere amongst that lot, find time to be me.  An end to intensive study brings with it a period of adjustment, getting used to having time to do the things that for so long have been pushed to one side.  My camera kit may now see the light of day, and there are many books I have purchased that just require the time to read and learn from them.  As some are keen to remind me, there will be time to reflect more.

Lent is a time for reflection and preparation as we get ready to celebrate Easter.  Many will attend special Lent Groups - setting aside extra time for fellowship and learning.  At Goffs Oak, we are using the Methodist course 'Exploring Spiritual Practices'.  It has been a wonderful series, and when the sessions end, Wednesday evenings just won't be the same.  It was nice to be on the receiving end rather than in the hot seat for once.  It has been energising, inspiring and I feel the benefit of that extra time of fellowship.

Going forward, I find myself on a steep learning curve because we never know everything there is to know, we never achieve that complete understanding of the character of God.  Our amazing, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-loving, inescapable God.