Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Psalm 139:14

When God finished His work of creation, He looked at all He had made and declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). That statement includes the stars, seas, plants, animals, and all the beauty of the world, but one part of creation stood above the rest. Man was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).

That doesn’t mean we look like God physically, because “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). It means mankind is different from the animals. We can reason, choose, love, worship, obey, and understand right from wrong. A bird may sing, but it doesn’t sing praises to God. A dog may be trained, but it doesn’t study the Scriptures. Man is unique because God made him that way.

David understood this when he wrote, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Job also recognized God’s hand in the body when he said, “You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and have knit me together with bones and sinews” (Job 10:11). The human body is not an accident. It is a masterpiece of divine wisdom.

The Body Shows Design

Think about your skin. Many people think of skin as just the outer covering of the body, but it does far more than that. It protects the body, helps regulate temperature, senses pain and pressure, and even repairs itself when cut. What man-made machine can be damaged and then heal itself?

Think about your bones. The adult body has about 206 bones. They support the body like the frame of a house. They protect the brain, heart, and lungs. They work with muscles so we can walk, lift, bend, and work. Bones also help produce blood cells and store important minerals.

Then consider the muscles. Some muscles we control, such as those used to raise a hand or take a step. Others work without our command, such as the heart. What a blessing that we don’t have to remind our hearts to beat. Imagine trying to live if you had to remember every heartbeat, every breath, every blink, and every movement of digestion. We would not last long.

Paul used the body as an illustration of unity in 1 Corinthians 12:18, saying, “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” The body is not confusion; it is order. It is not random; it is arranged. Every part has a place and a purpose.

The Body Preaches a Sermon

The digestive system takes food and turns it into energy. The teeth, tongue, saliva, stomach, and intestines all work together. The stomach can digest food without digesting itself because God designed it with protective and regenerative mechanisms. Is that not amazing?

The heart beats day and night, pumping blood through the body. It carries oxygen and nutrients where they are needed and helps remove waste. Your heart is like a faithful servant working in a hidden room. It doesn’t ask for attention. It simply keeps working.

The nervous system is the body’s communication system. The brain, spinal cord, and nerves send messages throughout the body with incredible speed. You touch something hot, and your hand pulls away almost instantly. You hear a familiar voice, remember a face, read words, solve problems, and think about truth. Can such a system honestly be explained as a blind accident?

Psalm 94:9 asks, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” The eye adjusts to light, focuses near and far, sees color and movement, and works with the brain so we can understand what we are seeing. The ear receives sound and turns vibration into meaning. Through hearing, we can listen to music, hear a loved one’s voice, and, most importantly, hear the Word of God. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

The human body is more than biology. It is testimony. A painting points to a painter, a house points to a builder, and a watch points to a watchmaker. In the same way, the human body points to the Creator.

What About Weakness and Disease?

Someone may ask, “If God designed the body, why does it have problems?” That is a fair question.

First, some things once thought useless were later shown to have a purpose. Man doesn’t know everything. Our lack of understanding doesn’t prove God made a mistake.

Second, we must remember that we don’t live in the world as it was first created. Sin entered the world, and with sin came suffering, weakness, decay, and death. Romans 5:12 teaches that “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin.” The body is still wonderfully made, but it lives in a fallen world.

That is why the body is both amazing and fragile. It shows God’s wisdom, but it also reminds us of our dependence on Him.

Use Your Body for God

If God made the body, then the body should be used for God. Paul wrote, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1). That means our hands should serve Him. Our mouths should speak truth. Our eyes should turn from evil. Our ears should listen to His Word. Our feet should walk in His ways.

The question is not simply, “Do I have a body?” The better question is, “What am I doing with the body God gave me?”

You are not an accident. You are made in the image of God. Your body is evidence of His wisdom, care, and power. So let us say with David, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Praise God for your body, and use it in His service.