He Values Bodies

What does it mean to be known by God not just spiritually, but physically, down to our very bones and organs? Psalm 139 takes us into some of the most treasured and personal verses in all of Scripture, where the psalmist reflects on how God formed each of us with intention, artistry, and care. We explore the ancient Hebrew language behind familiar phrases and discover that the poetry is far more earthy and visceral than most translations let on. God did not mass-produce us like the gods of ancient Egypt or Babylon, who fashioned humans merely as laborers. Instead, the God of Scripture is presented as a weaver, an artist, someone who knits together each person with purpose and design. This distinction is revolutionary, and it changes everything about how we understand our relationship with the Creator. The central invitation here is to radically accept our bodies as gifts, not just for ourselves but for the world around us. When we begin to see our physical existence through this lens, we stop chasing someone else's image and start inhabiting the one we were given. If God is always present where he is at work, and if he has been at work in our bodies since before we were born, then perhaps he is far closer to us than we have ever allowed ourselves to believe.