Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: Meaning With Commentary

Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

This verse is nestled inside a psalm that is full great meaning and doctrine. The psalmist is talking about the omnipresence and omniscience of God. How that we cannot flee from God’s seeing eye nor experience anything that He is not aware of. If your relationship with God is not right then these truths are not at all comforting. However, when you are living right these verses give the assurance that God is with you regardless of what you are experiencing in life at the moment. At times when you feel like God is far from you, this great psalm brings comfort as a reminder that He is ever present and aware of your problems and needs.

Verse 14 praises God because God created the psalmist, as well as each one of us, in a wonderful way. God made us the way we are and for a specific purpose. When we understand that, then we can have peace that whatever ailments or perceived problems we have in life are there because God ordained them.

Let’s look at some beautiful truths that we can learn from this short verse. While these truths apply to everyone, only people who have accepted Christ and have become a child of God can truly appreciate all the meaning in these verses. As you grow more in your Christian life you will probably enjoy this verse even more as you look back and see how the Lord has uniquely made you.

When you begin to understand the greatness of this verse you can be liberated from so many negative things that keep you from serving God.

God Made You the Way You Are

Are you completely happy with your body and mind? What about your mental health? Take comfort in knowing God has created you the way you are for a reason. You don’t have to feel undue pressure to be like other people because God didn’t make you like other people.

This verse uses the word ‘fearfully.’ It is the same word that is used when the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord. It means to have a respect and reverence for God. Or, literally this word can be rendered to be full of respect and reverence (full of fear). You should be thankful and honoring to God for the body and life He has given you. God does not randomly drop people into this world without regard for their needs and situations. The Bible says that He knows the number of hair on our head and He knows that we have real physical needs (Luke 12:7; Matthew 6:25-34). God does care about you. In return you should be thankful for the life and body He has given you.

The word ‘wonderfully’ means to be distinct or unique. Though it is often a trite saying, this verse says that God made you special. God has a special purpose and plan for you. The Bible says God formed you (Isaiah 44:24) and created you as His own masterpiece for a purpose (Ephesians 2:10).

God Has a Plan For You

There are things that God has designed you to do in life. We often hear preachers talking about God’s will and how we ought to do it. Sometimes people are confused as to what that will is. You can read other articles here about knowing God’s will, but let me deal with one aspect of it. That is, the fact that God’s will is perfect and that when you are doing it, you will absolutely love doing it.

The first couple of verses in Romans 12 talk about God’s will being good, acceptable and perfect. God’s will is not drudgery. When you understand that God has designed you special for a purpose and that His will is perfect, you will begin to see that it is also good and acceptable to you. It will be something you enjoy doing.

The book of Psalms talks of this too in Psalm 37 verse 4. It says to delight in the Lord, or be happy in the Lord. Rest comfortably in Him. When you do that then He will give you the desires of your heart. If you delight in Him then He will give you the right desires. When you have the right desires then He will fulfill those desires in you. When you do His will then what you crave, or desire, most is to please Him.

Does that mean everyone will please God in the same way or have the same desires? No. That is where Psalm 139:14 comes into play. God has created you in such a way that you will have passions and desires that are unique to you. What you draw pleasure from doing will be very different than what gives me great pleasure. When I finally understood this, it was liberating. I no longer had to live like other people wanted me to, I only need to live like God wants me to. That means obeying His Word and trusting Him to lead me.

Are You Happy With God’s Creation?

Have you struggled with the way the Lord made you in some way? Maybe you have physical traits that you feel are not as pretty as another person’s. It could be that your mental capacity is not as high as people you go to school or work with. You need to remember that God made you in a special way and because of that you should be full of awe and respect for the body or mind He has given you.

Now, don’t read that to mean we should not try to improve in ways that we can. Let’s be honest: God did not make us fat and lazy. God made most of us with a body that is capable of working hard physically and mentally so that we can serve Him. We shouldn’t blame God because we don’t want to study and try to do better with the abilities He has given us. Like many people, I too struggled with being overweight. God showed me that He did not create me this way. He created me with a good body. I mistreated my body and caused it to be incapable of serving Him to its fullest capacity.

I say all that to say this: be thankful for the body God has given you and work to keep it in good working condition so that you can serve your Savior in the way He wants. You can’t fulfill the purpose God has for your life if you mistreat the fearfully and wonderfully designed body He has given you. There are times we are limited in our service for God because we have created situations for ourselves that He never intended.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

When you begin to understand the greatness of this verse you can be liberated from so many negative things that keep you from serving God. You should take counsel from other people. The Bible says there is wisdom in having many counselors (Proverbs 11:14; 24:6). However, you should not try to live your life in service to God based on what other people think you should do. Learn what God’s will for your life is. When you know what that is and obey it, then you will have great joy in serving the God who designed you to do that special job.