Wonderfully and fearfully made…

Did you know that I am wonderfully and fearfully made?

Did you know that you are too?

As I write this blog, it happens to be my birthday. In fact, me and my husband share the same birthday week with only two days separating our special days. That means double the fun, double the cake and double the love.

We don’t really exchange gifts but we always give each other cards. In the last few years, my husband started making my birthday cards. I love them. They are always much sweeter than any Hallmark card I could buy. Primarily, because it is his words coming from his heart.

I am always reminded of a few verses on my birthday. One is my mama’s favorite verse, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The other one is Psalm 139:14 NIV, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” 

There’s a second part to that verse which says, “your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.” But do I? Do I know that God’s works are wonderful? And more importantly, do I understand that I am one of God’s works? You are too. 

When I think about these two verses on this particular day, I feel like God is saying, “this is the day that I created YOU, let us; (me, you, God and everyone else) rejoice and be glad in it.” It’s like a birthday party. These are God’s words coming from God’s heart. It’s like God has hand-made my own birthday card, just for me.

The scriptures are full of sweet words from God to us. Look at Jeremiah 29:11 NIV, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This is like a gift. Our birthday present from God. God plans to prosper us, not to harm us and give us a hope and a future. What an incredible gift!

My mama is always the first to call me on my birthday. Probably because she’s up at the crack of dawn. I know the drill. The phone rings, I answer and she begins singing “Happy Birthday to you…” As a mom, I love to be the first to sing “Happy Birthday” to my son. It brings me great joy to sing over him just as I’m sure it gives my mother great joy to sing to me. In Zephaniah 3:17 NIV, we see the Lord taking great delight in us and “in his love… HE rejoices over us with singing.” I imagine God singing over me, not only on my birthday but everyday. God loves me and out of God’s love for me, I can love. 

God has given us a handmade birthday card filled with reminders of how much He loves us. He’s given us a gift, the gift of our lives and the gift of His love. And out of that love for us, He delights over us with singing. I pray that today, regardless if it is your birthday or just any other day, that you will experience the great gift of God’s love for you. “We love because he first loved us.”

“…I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,

the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…”

Oh happy day! In Jesus Name, Amen. -M