Downloads
Think about two things: a scarf someone knitted for you by hand, and a plastic bottle from a factory. Which one took longer to make? Which one did the maker think about more? If you lost the bottle, the factory wouldn't even notice. If you lost the scarf, the person who made it would care. And here's the thing: the handmade one doesn't have to be perfect to be precious.
This term we're asking a big question: "Who am I?" There are lots of voices that try to answer it for you. The Bible's first answer is simple: you were made, and the one who made you cared about every detail.
What you'll learn
- How the God who made the whole world also made you, personally
- What the four parts of Psalm 139 are about
- Why your worth doesn't depend on looks, marks or popularity
From "people" to "me"
Right at the start of the Bible, God makes human beings:
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27)
That's the wide shot: God makes humanity in his image. But is God making people the same as God making you?
Psalm 139 is the close-up. A man named David looks at his own life and says, in effect, "God made me." And notice who he's talking to. This psalm is a song and a prayer, written to God, not just about him.
A map of Psalm 139
Before we zoom in, here's the whole psalm at a glance:
| Verses | What David is saying | A symbol |
|---|---|---|
| 1–6 | God knows everything about me: my actions, thoughts and words. | An eye |
| 7–12 | There is nowhere I can go where God isn't there with me. | A map |
| 13–18 | God made me, carefully and personally, before I was born. | A pair of hands |
| 19–24 | David is honest about evil and asks God to search his own heart. | A torch |
Verses 19–22 might surprise you. David is angry at people who do evil and hate God. The psalms are honest like that: David brings even his anger to God. But notice that he doesn't take revenge himself. He hands it over to God, and then asks God to check his own heart too.
Close-up: made by hand
"For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well." (Psalm 139:13–14)
David uses some beautiful pictures for how God made him:
| Verse | Picture | What it tells us |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Knitting or weaving | God made me slowly and carefully, stitch by stitch, like the handmade scarf. |
| 14 | Something wonderful to praise God for | Being made by God leads David to worship, not to show off. |
| 15 | Being skilfully put together where no one could see | God was at work before anyone else knew I existed. |
| 16 | God's eyes saw me; my days were written in his book | God knew me and my whole life before I was born. |
Look closely at verse 14. It does not say "I am perfect" or "I am better than others". David praises God, because God's work is wonderful. Your value is a gift from your maker, not something you have to earn.
"Wonderfully made" doesn't mean "perfect" either. We live in a broken world, and lots of people live with illness, disability, or things about their body they wish were different. But your worth comes from the maker, not from the condition of the product.
Then, in verses 17–18, David is amazed that God's thoughts about him outnumber the grains of sand. God doesn't make you and then forget you.
Some people have been told they were "an accident". Your parents may not have planned you, but God did.
Made through Jesus, and for Jesus
The New Testament tells us even more about who made us:
"For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him." (Colossians 1:16)
Everything, including you, was made through Jesus and for Jesus. And Jesus is the perfect image of God, so when we want to know what a human being is meant to look like, we look at him.
Who God says I am
- Made on purpose, carefully and personally (Psalm 139:13–14).
Key words
- Psalm: a song or prayer to God; the book of Psalms has 150 of them.
- Image of God: being made to reflect what God is like.
- Fearfully and wonderfully made: made with amazing care and skill, in a way that should make us praise God.
- Womb: the place inside a mother where a baby grows before birth.
How this points to Jesus
Because of the Fall, none of us are the way we were meant to be. Jesus came so that people made by God could be brought back to God. That means your maker is also your rescuer. The one who knitted you together is the one who came to put broken things right.
Think about it
Why do you think David turns these facts into praise instead of just stating them?Show answer
Because realising how carefully God made him fills him with wonder. Knowing who made you leads to thanking him, not showing off.
How would believing "I was made on purpose" instead of "I'm an accident" change how someone feels about themselves?Show answer
It would give them worth that doesn't go up and down with likes, marks or looks. Their value would come from the one who made them.
If every person around you was made this carefully, how should you treat them?Show answer
With respect and kindness, even people you don't get along with, because each one is God's handmade work.
Take it further
This week, write down three things about how you are made that you're thankful for. They can be small: "I'm a good listener", "I can make people laugh", "I have strong legs". Your worksheet helps you map Psalm 139 and explore David's pictures.
David ends Psalm 139 with a prayer. If you'd like to, you could pray it too:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23–24)