Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

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We see the phrase everywhere…”fearfully and wonderfully made.” Go to any Christian website and search for a shirt - it will be there. But what does it actually mean? In this 3-day devotional, we are going to understand better the term “fearfully and wonderfully made” and see how God used it in the Bible. 

Day 1: Fearfully and wonderfully made

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14 NIV

When I was younger I played basketball. I played a Guard position, but there was a problem. I wasn’t very coordinated and that’s tough to pull off when you are expected to dribble the ball fairly often. I always wished I was tall like my Dad - I wanted to be at least 6 feet tall. People would tell me I was crazy for wanting to be so tall…I heard things like, “you won’t be able to find clothes that fit” or “you won’t be able to wear heels.” I didn’t care about those things. I just wanted to be tall so I could tower over everyone else during a basketball game. I was not interested in being 5’6” and uncoordinated. I certainly did not feel fearfully or wonderfully made. 

Most of us understand what it means when something is made wonderfully, but what about fearfully? Alternate translations give some context, but the best understanding comes from the Hebrew translation. Fearfully, when translated from Hebrew means with great reverence, heartfelt interest, and respect. Wonderfully, when translated from Hebrew means unique and set apart. 

That gives a new perspective to the verse. Imagine if you woke up each day and said to yourself, “I praise you God because you made me with great reverence, heart-felt interest, and respect. I praise you because you made me unique and set apart, even if I can’t tower over everyone on the basketball court.” Have you ever praised God for making you unique and set apart? Have you ever thought of God having a heartfelt interest in you when He made you? Do you know that He still has a heartfelt interest in you?

Reflection: 

What makes you unique and set apart? Praise God today for it. Thank Him for His heartfelt interest in you. 

Scriptures for Day 1:

Psalm 139

Day 2: Ezekiel - fearfully and wonderfully made

“But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.” Ezekiel 3:8 NIV

I asked my son to tell me what he knows about Ezekiel. This was his response: “He was a prophet. He had to stare at a model city he made and cook his food over poop. He saw dry bones come alive.” Unless you’ve studied the book of Ezekiel, this may also be the extent of your understanding (see chapters 4 and 37 in Ezekiel if you want to understand my son’s response better). Ezekiel has long been an interesting prophet in my eyes - the way God used him to communicate messages to the people definitely raises some eyebrows. My son wasn’t wrong about Ezekiel…he did build a model city and he did cook his food over poop (the Bible calls it dung but a kid is never going to miss a chance to say “poop”). What do you think the people thought of Ezekiel? Would they have labeled him as “extreme” or even “crazy”? Do you think the people thought he was “fearfully and wonderfully made”? What do you think God thought of Ezekiel? 

In chapter 3 of the book of Ezekiel, God says: “Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.” And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.” Ezekiel 3:6-11 NIV 

God made Ezekiel unyielding and hardened. Other translations call him obstinate, hard-hearted, and stubborn. God is clear that He has made Ezekiel this way because it is what is needed for the people. He needs a Prophet that is unyielding in the face of a nation unwilling to listen. God made Ezekiel unique. He had heartfelt interest in Ezekiel. He made him set apart for a reason. 

Reflection: 

Think about some of the qualities you don’t like or appreciate about yourself. Pray that God will use these qualities for his glory. 

Scriptures for Day 2:

Ezekiel 3

Day 3: Living in confident humility

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

Yesterday we read about Ezekiel, whom God called obstinate and stubborn. How many of you have been called obstinate, stubborn, hard-headed, or unyielding? Did you take it as a compliment or an insult? Think about the situation in which you were stubborn or hard-headed. Were you being that way for God’s glory? Living fearfully and wonderfully made doesn’t mean you accept every personality trait you have, it means you ask God to continue the work He began when He made you and use your unique gifts for His glory. There is a verse I keep taped up on my mirror in my bathroom. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

I know the way God made me is only useful if I am acting according to His will, which means that every day I ask God to reveal to me anything that is offensive to Him. This process of asking God to reveal offensive ways in me keeps me humble…it helps me remember that I am nothing without God. That I must rely on Him. 

I use the phrase “confident humility” in my prayers as I talk with God. I want to be confident in the person that God made me and humble enough to continually seek His will. Ezekiel’s unyielding personality only worked because he was doing exactly what God wanted, which meant that every day Ezekiel humbled himself before God, continually listening to God and seeking His will. 

As you ask God to reveal your heart, you must be prepared for what he reveals to you. This is an intimate conversation with God and one that requires you to trust and change. Remember, God made you with great reverence, heartfelt interest, and respect. You are unique and set apart. I pray that you can feel the love from your Father as you understand how cherished you are. 

Reflection: 

Are you ready for God to reveal offensive ways within your heart? How will you respond? 

Scriptures for Day 3:

Psalm 139

This devotional was provided by members of Faith Chapel. Written by Hollie Frieden, edited by Kelly Frieden and Melissa Lincoln, artwork by Sarah Frieden. For more information or to contact us, visit faithchapelchurch.com.