Marvel

“Do you give the horse its strength Or clothe its neck with a flowing mane? Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting? It paws fiercely, rejoining in its strength,  And charges into the fray. It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; It goes not shy away from the sword.” (Job 39:19-22)

If we zoom out, these verses are a snippet of a conversation between God and Job, where God is speaking and reminding Job of His sovereignty.

But if we look look closely at the language God uses, can you hear the intentionality and the reverence God has for His creation? God gave the horse both his strength and his courage, and He made Him beautiful and graceful. What an interesting combination!

And we too are His creation. Psalm 139 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Wonderful is a word we use too often for the ordinary. But Webster’s defines the adjective as “exciting wonder, marvelous, astonishing.” We were marvelously and astonishingly made. Our body, mind and spirit are complex and wondrously designed. Each of us is a marvel!

And God “fearfully” made us. That’s the best our English language can translate the Hebrew word originally used here. It doesn’t mean that God created us with fear but rather that we are set apart; God created us with purpose. So if He would create the horse with such beauty and gifting, how much more intentionally would He craft us?

Jesus said, “And even t

he very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:30-31)

God is most assuredly with us today, sitting in this pasture, and if He were to manifest Himself, He might have this conversation with us:

“Have you counted the hairs on your head? 

Did you make your eyes that color?

Did you weave together every strand of your DNA?

"Tell me, did you know how to make your thumbprint unique to only to you? 

Did you fashion your skin so that your wounds would close with time?

“Did you write the melody of your laugh or tune the pitch of your voice? 

Did you ignite the light in your eyes?

Tell me, how did you breathe life into your own lungs?

“I did not give you a spirit of fear but rather the power to love because I loved you first. So much so that I gave my Son as a ransom for you. So draw your courage, strength and hope from me, and just like my horse, be afraid of nothing.”

Let’s pray.

Dear Jesus, we marvel at the creativity of the Creator and are humbled by your sovereignty. Teach us to wonder, to see you in others and in creation. Teach us to awe. Thank you for making us reverently and wonderfully, and may our time here today be filled with both laughter and healing. Grant us courage in the every day and safely return us home tonight more in love with you. Amen.