“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;…” – Psalms 139:14 (NIV)
The aforementioned declaration made by King David begs this question, “What prompted David to make such a declaration particularly since he was neither a doctor nor a physiologist”?
In addressing this question, authors of the book, “Health and Hope”, Mark Finley and Peter Landless made the point that the Psalmist wrote this statement over 3,000 years ago, long before microscopes and x-rays machines existed. They also highlighted the fact that the king did not have a clue what a cell was, much less about any of its myriad and fantastically complicated parts; he did not know about cell reproduction or protein synthesis and he never heard about DNA.
They declared, like King David, human beings cannot fathom that a single body has 20 trillion meters of DNA and that our complete set of genes (the genome) is more than 3.5 billion letters long. It is a foregone conclusion that David would not have known about how white blood cells fight invaders, or about the many steps in the enzymes cascade that leads to blood clotting; nevertheless, he knew enough to realise what a miracle it was that we exist and enough to praise our God who brought about our existence.
Beloved, it matters not how wonderfully we are made, we were born in sin and we were shaped in iniquity. Because of our sinful nature, we are susceptible to sickness, pain, and death. In the end, only the redemption found in Jesus, climaxing at the second coming, will bring full restoration and healing to us. Until that time we have a duty to both God and ourselves to cultivate good health practices for the establishment and preservation of physical and mental health.
For man to reproduce, it requires male sperm and the female’s egg to fertilise. When the first sperm penetrates the egg, the egg closes and the other millions of sperm die. Seven to nine months later, a child is born. And as Jeremiah said, we are one of millions, predestined to be here to do the will of God – Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV). Our birth is a miracle, let us fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. Our existence is a miracle, and our life is a precious gift. And, as with a precious gift, we must cherish and care for it. This includes doing our best to develop and maintain the physical, mental, and spiritual components of ourselves, fashioned in the image of God.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, You have made us stewards of the gift of life You have given us. We pray for Your wisdom, direction, and guidance to cultivate healthy eating habits, diet, and exercise so that we may live a life of abundant health and honour You, Creator. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
Read: Jeremiah 1:5; John 1:4
Bible Reading Guide: Psalms 119:129-136; Hebrews 1; Lamentations 3:40-66; Lamentations 4; Lamentations 5
