I Am Not My Own

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 19, 2023

I Am Not My Own

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.

Psalm 139:14

Recently, I felt a twinge of guilt as I sat down for supper. I marveled at the beautiful setting of our home. As I looked down at our more than ample evening meal, my ears were still ringing with the latest news reports from the crisis of unaccompanied children at our borders, Hawaiian fire, Ukraine, Iran, and other hotspots around the world. There is so much suffering in our world. When we are so far removed from human tragedies, how are we to feel?

Those thoughts were still with me this morning when I read the passage from Psalm 139:14. A psalmist also says that God keeps our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56), and we know that Jesus was moved to tears over the suffering of his friends (John 11). I am trying to reconcile the juxtaposition today of these passages that speak of God’s utter delight in creating humankind in His image, and the heart-wrenching suffering humankind causes one another, and their Creator as well.

These passages stand in sharp contrast, just like the sharp contrast of God’s redeeming love for me being fully expressed in the stench of my sin: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). It is the truth of this passage, and the truth expressed by the psalmist, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, that empowers me to look beyond the blessedness of my existence and ask. “God how can you use my life to make a difference for good in your Creation?”

My Takeaway: The reconciliation I am looking for is found in the words of an ancient prayer that I try to make my own, “Lord, I acknowledge you to be my Creator and my God. I render to you the reverence of my being and my life. I am not my own. I am yours. By creation and redemption I am yours. I will devote myself to your service this day and forever.” Amen.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.