THE LORD'S MASTERPIECE

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know this is a sensitive topic for many. My hope in writing this is that those who have been touched in one way or another by this tragic subject can find the healing that only our Creator can provide.

Read Psalm 139:7-18 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A7-18&version=ESV)

"For you formed my inward parts;     you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:13-14a 

My heart is breaking this morning with a storm of deep sadness filling my heart. 

I heard from a friend yesterday about a student who tried to take their own life. While I do not feel right sharing the full story here, my heart is in pieces hearing of yet another young life in jeopardy because they thought suicide was the best, or only, answer. 

My life has been personally touched, too, by the specter of suicide. I have known someone who survived a suicide attempt, and I have known others who have not. It's always difficult to understand, because no one ever really knows for sure what thoughts lead someone down that dark road. 

But the passage above tells us that the Lord knows intimately the deepest longings and most private struggles in even the darkest corners of our hearts. It tells us that the deepest darkness cannot hide us from the loving, compassionate hand of God. There is nothing a heart can wrestle with that He does not know and understand completely. 

But this passage does not stop there in explaining our value to a loving God. Verses 13 through 16 tell us that we are each a marvelous tapestry woven together in minute and intricate detail by an amazing Creator who knows each tiny part of us. This thought ought to be truly comforting, too, that the One who created us and knows us in intimate detail loves and treasures us more than we can possibly imagine. 

I know this can be hard to see in the age of social media, where one tiny unfounded nugget of gossip can spread like wildfire in the most public arena, and without the smallest grain of actual truth, be treated as fact. A few hateful words from a spiteful tongue can come to define you. 

It’s an age where a treasured masterpiece of God can be utterly destroyed emotionally by 140 characters or a meme. 

And in choosing to reflect on this passage this morning, my message is twofold.  

First, if the world is throwing you away as trash, remember every thought and every detail about you is precious to your Creator (v. 17). He loves you dearly and gives you purpose. Your heart is His greatest treasure. He loved you enough to send His son to the cross for you.  Thare is absolutely nothing that can separate you from that deep and abiding love.

Second, if you are a speaker of these spiteful words, remember even the most idle negative words can decimate a hurting heart. Every word that passes our lips matters. Every syllable is capable of an impact greater than you can imagine. 

So when you speak, let it be in love, with the knowledge that each person is a priceless jewel in the Creator's eyes, and each one deserves to be treated as such. 

And if someone you know is hurting today, do not let them suffer in silence. Tell them they are loved, that you care about them, and how much they matter. Encourage them to reach out and seek help. 

Because we are all, each one, a marvelous masterpiece of an awesome God! 

Prayer: I pray each one who reads these words today would find hope in the knowledge that they are treasured creations, and that they would have the love in their hearts to treat others the same way!