May 11, 2019 -- Psalm 119:73 & 79 -- Who's Your Daddy?

Your hands have made and fashioned me;

give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Let those who fear you turn to me,

that they may know your testimonies.

Psalm 119:73 & 79 ESV

In order to determine the value of an item you need a know a few things: its maker, its provenance and its purpose. No doubt many of you have watched “Antique Roadshow” or “American Pickers” or “Storage Wars”. In each of these shows items are presented to the audience which may or may not have great monetary value assigned to it.

Who made it? If an item is a knock-off of an original painting or sculpture, then, of course, it is far less valuable. The Bible declares over and over again God has fashioned us. We are of inestimable value because we are made by God and carry His image. As the psalmist wrote: You have made and fashioned me. It is important because we are designed for God’s purposes.

In August 2017 there was a news cycle carried by a lot of sources how Iceland had nearly eliminated Down’s Syndrome. It turns out there is an on-going genocide against people in utero who have the markers for this condition. With recklessness and in defiance of God’s maker’s stamp people in their great hubris are killing off people whom they deem to have no purpose. God was not consulted but insulted and Iceland (and other nations, no doubt) are murdering their defenceless citizens to their great shame and for this they will be judged by God.

The provenance of a piece. Who owns it, that is what provenance means. For example, you may have a sword from the American Civil War, and the current owner of this sword claimed it belonged to General Robert E. Lee. The question is: how can you prove it belonged to him and can you show ownership along the years since that time so that its authenticity can be verified? If it did indeed belong to the General and not some anonymous footsoldier, the value of the sword increases dramatically. As Christians we know we are both made by God and claimed by Him and therefore we are precious in His sight. Here the psalmist invites others to turn to him so that they may hear his testimonies.

The Christian knows he belongs to God. God made us. Christ died in our place so that our sins have been punished upon His body at the cross and we are directed by the Spirit of God to live as His beloved children. This is our testimony, our joy and song in praise to God.

The world clamours and barks out its vomitous lies that we are pond scum evolved and therefore our lives can be determined to be disposable at the whim of whatever government is in power. Our government disposes of babies and the infirm by killing them. In fact the government is promoting and exporting abortion in third world countries. It is a profound insult against God Who not only made us, He owns us. Our lives are His. We belong to Him and from conception to natural death our lives bring honour and praise to His Name.

The purpose of a piece. One person can look at a violin and see something old and nearly worthless. Another, a musician, can pick it up and make it weep against the pull of the bow, or declare the exuberance of each note with staccato bounces of the bow calling forth amazing sounds from each string. Suddenly the purpose of the piece, as it is played and held in the musician’s hands, is realized. It is easy to see someone as worthless, until we know the purpose of each life. Scripture tells us that every single person, from conception to natural death, is valuable because we are in the hands of the Master Musician who draws from each life the concert sounds adding such notes to the full symphony drawn by Him from the life of all who live. Our lives give praise and worship and honour to God. The bed-ridden person may be a pray warrior sustaining the saints of God by her fervent prayers. We do not see or know the purpose of a particular person’s life. This is known to God.

God the Life of all the Living Who is like You? Blessed be Your Name! Forgive us for the low regard we often have for life. Even those among us who are “pro-life” and “anti-euthanasia” often regard people as criminals or we judge others harshly without reference to Your Maker’s mark on them. Lord Jesus Christ, honour and blessing, glory and renown be to You for You have delivered us from death and hell and cause us to be called the beloved sons and daughters of God! Spirit of the Living God, blessed are You. By Your presence the Word comes alive to our thoughts and to each of us the purpose of our life is revealed. May we in every part of our life give testimony to Your awesome grace. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.