The Miracle of Life

Just thought I'd share with you that I have a new granddaughter as of March 6. She came three weeks early, and life has been a roller coaster since I got the call to change my reservation on Friday morning and arrived in St. Louis going straight to the hospital that night. Today has been the first halfway normal day since her birth. She weighed in at a tiny 5 lbs. 6 oz., but due to some complications ended up back in ER (after being home for 2 days) at 4 lbs. 8 oz., wearing an IV (after many tries to connect), and wearing sunglasses under a bilirubin light. Amazingly, her fluid and bilirubin levels normalized after 13 hours or so, and we got to bring her home weighing 4 lbs 15 oz.

I am so praising the Lord for His amazing goodness in allowing us to have access to the expertise and technology that she needed. I can't look at her without thinking of the words of Psalm 139. She is certainly fearfully and wonderfully made! I just don't understand how anyone can look at a new life and not believe in his/her Creator. I thought I would share an excerpt from my journal on this Psalm.

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.

The Hebrew for the word praise includes worship and thanksgiving. We worship and give thanks to God for many reasons. In this particular psalm, David is focused on how God loves him and has such concern for him from the moment of creation in his mother’s womb to intimate involvement throughout his life. The Hebrew for fearfully indicates to revere as well as to cause fear. This seems to be a statement regarding the value that God places on human life. “Wonderfully made” is a phrase that indicates the uniqueness of man in the creation and the amazing way in which our body functions. To describe God’s creative skills as marvelous is a reference to the miraculous intricate design of our being. Only in this century are we beginning to get a glimpse of just how miraculous and unique our bodies are with the unlocking of the DNA database that is unique to every individual. David may not be able to understand it all, but he certainly knows how to appreciate the results. The word soul is a reference to the true person of David that is housed in this magnificently designed body.

Psalm 139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

This verse is confusing at first. The Hebrew for "lowest parts" included a reference to the “womb, figuratively.” I think this is David’s poetic expression coming out. Since we are made of the dust of the ground, the womb would picture the “lowest part” of the woman’s being. “Curiously wrought” is a reference to embroidery and needlework, which I think is a reference to the exacting care and attention given to the design of our being. It would also be a reference to the uniqueness of each individual.

If possible, I am even more overwhelmed than before as I think of the God of the universe keeping intimate tabs on each one of His children to the point of knowing their thoughts before they do and at the same time giving special attention to the formation of every new human. It’s interesting that the word substance was chosen. It’s a reference to the raw material used in the creation, which we know consists of the merging of an egg from the woman and sperm from the man.

Psalm 139:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

The Hebrew for unperfect is a reference to the “embryo, the unformed mass.” When God looked at that embryo, He already had the blueprint recorded that would eventually result in David; that is true for every baby that is born. As that baby continues to develop, God ensures that he/she develops exactly according to His recorded blueprint. The Spirit through David makes express note that this blueprint exists before even one identifiable part of the baby is formed.

It truly grieves my heart to see how little respect our culture gives to these special creations. It is the ultimate in selfishness to decide that one’s comfort or convenience is more valuable or important than to honor the life that God has initiated in the womb. The question begs as to why God allows this to continue. One thing of which I am sure is that The Righteous Judge to Whom vengeance belongs will administer justice. The sad thing is that once we get to the point of thinking we have the right to determine who should have the right to be born or not, we are well on the way down the path to determining who should be allowed to live or die according to our assessment of their quality of life (and our current culture reflects that truth). That is an authority that only God possesses. Once we position ourselves as “gods” regarding the value of life, we have effectively done away with our need to recognize His authority in any area.

Thank You Father for Your amazing love!!