For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. (Psalm 139:13-18 ESV).
It’s easy for us to think that we lack beauty. For example, you may feel that you don’t meet the beauty standards set by the world today. If you don’t look like a fashion model, maybe you feel less beautiful than others. Or you may feel that your life doesn’t meet the standards of a beautiful life. Maybe you have made mistakes in the past that you continue to regret. Perhaps your family and professional life haven’t turned out the way you had hoped. Or you may have habits and behavior that you aren’t proud of. You may also feel that you don’t have much internal beauty either. But God has something different to say.
In our reading today from Psalm 139, God assures us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” God’s creative power was at work not just in forming galaxies at the beginning of time, but also in forming each unique part of you. God made you beautiful.
Psalm 139 assures us that the God who formed us before we were born is still intimately involved in our lives. The God who made you beautiful at the beginning continues to show you grace and to restore you to beauty every day. By God’s grace, you are not defined by the mistakes you have made or the ugly parts of your life. You are defined by the love of the God who created you in beauty.
Remember His promise to us is that all of this will work together for our good (cf. Romans 8:28). What a wonder of grace He is!