This is part two of a six-part, six-week series based on Psalm 139:13-18.
A few months ago, we walked through a house that was under construction. Surprising to us, this house was being built by the man who actually designed the house rather than by a hired crew. From the beautiful tongue-and-groove woodwork on the dining room ceiling, to the handmade cabinetry in the living room and kitchen, to the intricate tile work in the master bathroom, to the rich crown molding throughout, it was clear that this man took great pride in the detail of his workmanship.
This house, if it could speak, might have had the same words for its builder as David had for God, His creator, in Psalm 139:14:
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.” (New Living Translation)
Just as our loving God had affirmed in David, He wants to affirm in you:
“I have made you
wonderfully complex; my workmanship is marvelous – you can see it!”
We can see it. Sometimes I think we take it for granted, though.
How complex are you? Consider that the human body has over 60 trillion cells, 100 thousand miles of nerve fiber, 60 thousand miles of vessels carrying blood around the body, and 250 bones, not to mention all the joints, ligaments and muscles. And you thought the wiring of your home theatre components was complex! But wait, there’s more.
According to what I’ve read (because I’m sorry to admit I don’t know this stuff off the top of my head), the simplest living cell has over one trillion molecules in it. That is more than 1,000 x 1,000 x 1,000 x 1,000 – or 1,000 times one billion. For some perspective, there are 500 to 1,000 times more molecules in the simplest cell than there are people on Earth. Unlike the people on Earth, though, all of the molecules must be in exactly the right place at the right time or the cell won’t function properly. We’re just talking about one simple cell here – not one of the more than 60 trillion that is found in our body. God not only knitted together a complex being when He knit you together in your mother’s womb, but a precisely complex being. Pretty impressive, wouldn’t you say?
The thing is, we’re only scratching the surface with basic biology here. We haven’t even gotten into the coding of human behavior, our intelligence, our memory, our senses – so many amazing features of the human body. Isaac Asimov, a writer and biochemistry professor of days gone by, said the human brain is “…the most complex and orderly arrangement of matter in the universe.” Then going even deeper, there’s the spirit of our being which only God truly understands.
Other translations of the Bible render “wonderfully complex” as “fearfully and wonderfully made.” In other words, we are made with awe, reverence and honor. It occurs to me that those are words that often describe how we approach God: we come to Him with awe and reverence; we honor Him with our praise. But in Psalm 139:14, these words describe how He approached us. And I don’t believe God could have done it any other way, because He truly is awesome and worthy of reverence and honor, and giving any less attention to our creation would be opposed to His nature. As a result, we are exhibits of His marvelous workmanship. You are an exhibit of His marvelous workmanship.
So what do we do in recognition of this truth? First of all, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to just meditate on it for a while and let it sink in. Realize how truly extraordinary you are. To me, just thinking about what it means for God to have approached my creation with awe, reverence and honor is pretty powerful. The image of Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid patiently and delicately pruning his bonsai trees comes to mind – it’s not a perfect illustration, but it connects for me… maybe a different image comes to your mind.
Then, we must thank God and give Him all the glory, as David did. The same God who created all the universe, who is almighty, awesome, beyond words – that same God – honored us by putting His very best into us. Wow. I don’t know how to put it into words, so I’ll just borrow David’s:
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.”
Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll come back next week for part three in the "What David Knew" series, subtitled "Under Watchful Eyes." Until then, if you're interested in further reading about the complexity of the human body, check out this article from Creation Ministries International.
Wonderful words of encouragement. King David was a complex character--and flawed--but God dearly loved him.
Blessings, e-Mom @ Chrysalis
Posted by: e-Mom | February 08, 2008 at 12:26 PM