Monday, June 29, 2026

         Our church memory verse for June has been Psalm 119:73 which says, “Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” This verse comes from the longest chapter in the Bible—176 verses in total.  Every one of these verses, with the exception of two, says something about the importance, value and truth of God’s Word.  Before we leave June, it might be helpful to take a closer look at this verse and what it says to us.  There are some rich truths worth mining in this verse.  First, we recognize that we are made by God.  “Your hands have made me.”  We did not make ourselves.  We did not stumble into existence by accident or random chance.  We were made—in God’s image and by His gracious and creative hands.  We can remind ourselves of another verse about our creation by a loving and gracious God.  That verse says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).  We speak about God “making” us not in a prideful way but to call attention to the One whose fingerprints are all over us.  He made us and loves us and calls us to know Him and to rejoice in Him.
            Second, we learn that God creates with design, purpose and precision.  He “made” us and “formed” us.  That word form means that God acted with intelligence, purpose and imagination.  He made us unique—not all eight billion people on the planet are exactly the same and programmed as robots.  Like a master artisan or craftsman, God wove us together and made us in His image.  As the creation story testifies, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).  We bear the image of God.  That image is scarred and marked by sin in all of us—you, me and everyone.  Yet, in Christ, that marred and badly fallen image is redeemed and remade in His image as we grow in faith and grace. 
            Third, God has given His Word to us.  His written Word sets out His will and His expected response from us to that will.  God shows us who He is, what He values, what He calls us to be and how He has made it possible for us to come back to Him even when we have wandered and strayed from Him because of our sins.  God’s “commands” are for our good and righteousness.  His “commands” are the boundaries and guardrails that make life better for all who seek to know and live out His Word and ways.  Too many times, you and I have roamed away from the Lord and sought to please ourselves and to pursue things that are neither good nor true.  But the good news is, His Word faithfully beckons us back to Him and shows us how we can be forgiven, redeemed and saved in Jesus alone by the cross alone. 
            Finally, God has promised to grant us understanding so we might comprehend His Word and live it out.  He gave Solomon wisdom to reign over His people.  He gave Paul the words to write much of the New Testament.  He gave the apostles words to preach and the gospel to declare.  God can grant us understanding each day to read and know His Word and to apply it to the circumstances that we encounter.  Faith does come from hearing God’s Word.  But once we have heard the Word, we are to live it out and become doers of the Word.  Before you begin to read a passage, pray for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, ears, heart and mind.  If you struggle to make sense of a verse, read it several times and ask God to grant you discernment.  You may even need to come back to a verse later in the day or week and see if you have a better understanding after some time has passed.  Often, we can better understand the Bible if we write out a verse that is confusing, convicting or even comforting.  Writing and saying the words of a verse simultaneously can often improve our understanding.
            We can give thanks today that God made us—with loving hands, divine design and in His image.  We can be grateful that God has entrusted us with His Word to help us live in His ways as His people.  We can rejoice that God promises to us the wisdom and understanding we need to know His Word and to put it into faithful practice.  Just before Psalm 119:73, we find the value of God’s Word placed in terms we can easily understand. Psalm 119:72 says, “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.”  Have a great Monday!