Read: Psalm 139
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. (v. 13)
It shows up on Facebook, words laid over a flowered background: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” I have seen this quote more frequently lately and deeply appreciate it in a time when comparison is only a social media scroll away or a quick glance at the neighbor’s newest purchase.
Psalm 139 is one of my favorite portions of Scripture. King David’s praise for God and wonder at God’s knowledge (vv. 1-18) quickly remind me of how expansive and specific our God is. God knows what David will say before he says it (v. 4). He would be able to find David anywhere, literally or figuratively (vv. 7-10). And if David was overtaken by darkness, God would make the dark light (vv. 11-12).
There are days I need to be reminded that God knows me as well, and cares for me as deeply as he did for David. He cares for me not because of what I have achieved or possess but because he decided the world needed me.
God created you, uniquely, for his pleasure and purpose. And he placed you in and brought you out of the secret place of your mother’s womb at just the time he deemed the world needed the one and only you. God’s timing is perfect, and his creation in you is a gift to the world that no one else can be. You are valuable and loved! —Joy Petroelje
As you pray, thank God for making you uniquely, and loving you so deeply.
About the Author
Joy Petroelje is the director of a nonprofit human services organization. She and her husband Steve have three sons and live near Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition to family time and her work in nonprofit administration, Joy enjoys reading, writing, and running.
