Thursday – January 14, 2021

Scripture

Psalm 139:13-16

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.

Words of Hope

As a child I had “body issues”. I was a slightly chunky kid and often had to buy my clothes in the ”Husky” section of the department stores. That was the euphemism for kids that were heavier or bigger than the norm. By the time I became an adult I had shed a lot of that weight and even wore a Medium size sport shirt, but I never saw myself as anything but a fat kid.

My weight and body image have grown and shrunk many times during my life and yet my image of myself never changed from that overweight kid who wore “Husky” clothes. That’s why I find some comfort in this Psalm. It reminds me that God sees me and embraces me as His creation, beautiful in all its manifestations.

When I remember that, I can look in the mirror and see myself without the filters of my own expectations or personal prejudices, and see the creation that God has made.

Yes, I could lose some weight, and I will, but that doesn’t change my value as a human being and as one of God’s creations. Learning to see myself through God’s eyes is a big step to a healthy life.

Prayer

God, thank you for giving me the ability to see myself through your eyes and accept myself as a whole person worthy of not just your love but mine as well.

Devotion Author

Hardy Haberman