Psalm 139
Anyone here like to think they are unique or special? We seem to be bombarded with images of people that we are supposed to look like or be like, whether its supermodels, actors, businessmen or women; people with great looks, lots of money, and plenty of prestige. Everyone, without exception, will spend a portion of their lives, if not most of them, searching for significance. Robert McGee says it like this in his book The Search for Significance, “Unfortunately, many of us give only lips service to the powerful truths of the Scriptures without allowing them to affect the basis of our self-esteem in a radical way. Instead, we continue to seek our security and purpose from worldly sources: personal success, status, beauty, wealth, and approval from others.” The Bible says that you are significant, unique and crafted for a particular reason. Do you believe that about yourself this morning? As someone once said, ‘do you feel like 1 in a million?’ This morning we will read what the Bible says about you and just how special you are.
1. Recognize the wonder of He who made you (vs.1-12)
David was a man after God’s own heart. Seeing as God said this about David, you would think that David had a wonderful relationship with the Lord. It was out of this relationship that David came to recognize these awesome things about the God who made him. David’s words speak of a loving, powerful, and ever-present heavenly father. Not only does God know all these things about us, but He wants to know us personally. He takes the time to craft and know every person as a caring father. David understood his significance primarily through understanding, even a little, who God is and how He operates. This knowledge was too much for David to fathom, too great for Him to know because God is so different, so other.
What are your thoughts on God? Do you see Him as David did? Some people think of God as a distant being who sometimes hears our prayers. He’s up there but is generally disinterested with us, too many people to think about. When we try and think of God through our understanding of humanity and our own limitations then I can see how this logic comes about, but God is not like us. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; He is the Creator and One true God. He is not bound by our thinking nor is He subject to our laws or the laws of physics and nature. He made all things and cares for each and every one of His creations. In fact even if you tried to escape from Him you could not. Marvel at Him and understand the wonder of His majesty. This same God made and crafted you!
2. Realize how amazing you are (vs.13-15)
David uses some very interesting language here to describe himself through the eyes of his Creator. David certainly wasn’t speaking with any sort of vanity in these verses, but with a reverence for the craftsmanship of an amazing God. If you were to look into the complexity of the human body you cannot help but be amazed by what you see. David not only realized his own complexity but talks about God being the one that put it all together. By doing this God gets the credit for creating something truly awesome. The word wonderfully, other translations include fearfully, means to cause astonishment and awe, to inspire reverence. When you see you it should inspire you to be in awe of God.
Can you see how seeing yourself like this would affect your self-worth? Science and biology have shed some light on the intricacies of the human body, which are amazing.
• There are 2.5 trillion (give or take) red blood cells in your body at any moment. To maintain this number, about two and a half million new ones need to be produced every second by your bone marrow
• Considering all the tissues and cells in your body, 25 million new cells are being produced each second
• A red blood cell can circumnavigate your body in under 20 seconds
• A baby in the womb acquires fingerprints at the age of three months
• Nerve Impulses travel at over 400 km/hr
• Our eyes can distinguish up to one million colour surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man
• The brain uses a quarter of all the body’s oxygen
• The average human scalp has 100,000 hairs
Jesus went on to highlight the kind of God we serve and His interest in each person by saying in Luke 12:7, “And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.” The word for ‘valuable’ in the Greek means to excel beyond others. We are important to God above all others, you are important to God. Only people who are nuts about something know the small details. We may justly be astonished at the admirable set-up of these living temples, the composition of every part, and the harmony of how they all work together. You are wonderfully made.
3. Remember your purpose (vs.16-18, 23-24)
David continues to make some pretty amazing statements about God and His thoughts about us. Not only did God take great care in creating us, but He did it all for a purpose. He knew who you would be before you were born and He has always had a plan for you. God knows our everyday before they start. Lastly God has loving thoughts about us. David’s understanding of God was that he was thinking about him all the time. That would be so hard to imagine, but it makes you feel important and encourages you to be the son or daughter He has made you to be. I believe it is the desire of every loved child to please his or her parents. As David recognized the great purpose that God made him for and the great care God put into making him he in turn wanted to please God. The most significant thing you can do with your life is please the one who made you.
If God put so much into you don’t you think it was for a reason? You are unique, like no other person out of 6.7 billion on this planet. Even from 3 months in the womb you are taking on completely unique characteristics, do you think that is by accident or coincidence? God thinks highly of you, He thinks often of you and that makes you very significant. So what is your purpose in life then? Well the only place to find that is in He who made you. By fulfilling that purpose you will know significance, purpose and your life will be full of meaning. I think everyone is searching for that. Forget what others have said about you; listen to what God is saying to you this morning. You are significant to Him.
Conclusion
How many of you can remember a moment when your parent made you feel significant? It’s usually something you can remember because it is such an important moment. When I was leaving to go to Bible College my father took me outside to have a conversation with me. Firstly he said that I didn’t have to go through with this just because I had told people I was going to do it. Then he said to me, “I just want you to know how proud I am of you, I know God has great plans for you.” I remember it because it was important to me. I was on a path to fulfilling my purpose and my father was pleased, it’s a great feeling. Imagine how much greater it is when our heavenly father sees us on the journey to doing His will. That is significance. If you are here this morning and you don’t realize how important you are then take this moment to know that you reflect the splendor of your Creator and He is truly majestic. Not only that, you have been magnificently crafted by this great God. Lastly you need to know all of that work was for a distinct reason. You are 1 in a million, unlike any other to achieve things others cannot.
