I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. Psalm 139:14
I understand the “wonderfully” part because I often wonder how and why I was made, but the “fearfully” aspect? I’ve never really struck fear in the hearts of others. I’ve held my own in meetings and have had an above average roundhouse kick, but striking fear? If so, I’ve never seen it.
The Hebrew word for “fearfully” is “yare” meaning to be afraid of or to stand in awe. So, in essence, God made us to be awe-inspiring, but some days I am more fearful than awesome.
We were formed of wonderful things: love, forgiveness, intelligence, and strength, all of God and His Grace. Fear, pain, depression, and exhaustion, feeling less than how we were created, these are not from God. So why are these so prevalent in our lives?
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
Evil recognizes our awesomeness, our blessedness, and being held by the loving arms of Almighty God, but this world drains the strength we need to cling to Jesus. Death lost the war on Easter morning but the battles rage on. Yet on our side is the King of Glory, the Maker of heaven and earth, THE Almighty God. When we are dragged down, we need only to lift our eyes to see the Lord at our side, not just as a shield, but as a warrior pressing the powers of darkness back into the shadows.
Just as I put this pen to paper, the world launched an assault on me as if I had thrown down the gauntlet. A crushing blow left me dazed, with barely the strength to hold on to Jesus. My words must had struck a nerve. The dark side tends to besiege you only when you pose a threat. However, my heart echoed, “Lift your eyes and see the Lord at your side.” Easier said than done with weighted shoulders. I stumbled into bed, praying for strength, for comfort, for wisdom, and for sleep, peaceful sleep. I awoke still bruised but with a lighter load. The world had not changed around me, but within me. Thank You, Jesus.
We were made to be wonderful and awesome, but only when holding the Hand of the Awesome Creator who made us that way.
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