Man: Made by God and for God
PSALM 139:1-10 

Our culture greatly values outward appearance and athletic prowess. As a result, many of us think negatively about our bodies. We compare ourselves with others and conclude we do not measure up to society’s ideal. Such unhealthy comparisons can lead us into an emotional downward spiral. But the Lord sees things differently.

First, God made us—male and female—in His image, and then called what He had created “good” (Gen. 1:31). He knitted each of us in the womb (Ps. 139:13 niv); no one is exactly like anyone else. From the Lord’s perspective, we are each uniquely made, with both value and purpose.

Second, our importance to the Father is seen in His Son’s sacrifice on our behalf. Christ shed His blood and paid for our sins so that we might be set free from the penalty and power of sin. God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to take our place on the cross (1 John 4:10).

Finally, God designed man to be in relationship with Him. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden and had communion with the Creator. Abraham followed the Lord and was called God’s friend (James 2:23). Through faith in Jesus, we have become children of God and co-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17 niv). Our whole being—body, soul, and spirit—belongs to Him.

The media bombards us with how to be prettier, stronger, and more popular. But such pursuits don’t bring lasting satisfaction. Contentment is found when we remember how precious we are to God: He created us, our Savior died for us, and the Holy Spirit lives in us

Longing For Christ

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love.

Song of Songs 5:8

Such is the language of the believer panting after present fellowship with Jesus-he is sick for his Lord. Gracious souls are never perfectly at ease except when they are in close communion with Christ; for when they are away from Him, they lose their peace. The nearer to Him, the nearer to the perfect calm of heaven; the nearer to Him, the fuller the heart is, not only of peace, but of life and vigor and joy, for these all depend on constant fellowship with Jesus. What the sun is to the day, what the moon is to the night, what the dew is to the flower, such is Jesus Christ to us. What bread is to the hungry, clothing to the naked, the shadow of a great rock to the traveler in a sun-scorched land, such is Jesus Christ to us. And therefore if we are not consciously one with Him, we should not be surprised if our spirit cries in the words of the Song, “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love.”

This earnest longing after Jesus has a blessing attending it: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”;1 and therefore, supremely blessed are those who thirst for the Righteous One. Blessed is that hunger, since it comes from God: If I do not experience the blessedness of being filled, I will come again in my emptiness and eagerness until I am filled with Christ. If I do not yet feed on Jesus, I will continue to hunger and thirst after Him. There is a hallowedness about that hunger, since it sparkles among the beatitudes of our Lord. But the blessing involves a promise. These hungry ones “shall be satisfied” with what they desire. If in this way Christ causes us to long after Him, He will certainly satisfy those longings; and when He does come to us, as come He will, how sweet it will be!

1Matthew 5:6

The family reading plan for August 22, 2011

1 Samuel 14 | Romans 12