Oct. 15th Devotion

You Matter to God
By Skip Heitzig

When I was a kid, conflicts on the playground would often come down to whose dad was bigger. We'd go back and forth and say things like, "Well, my dad could beat up your dad."

David essentially used this exact argument to talk about other gods in Psalm 115: "Why do the nations say, 'Where is their God?' Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands" (vv. 2-4, NIV). He went on to disparage their unspeaking mouths, unseeing eyes, and unhearing ears, concluding, "Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them" (v. 8, NIV).

Your idea of who God is and how big He is really does matter. So just how big and powerful is He? To begin with, He's powerful enough to create everything in the universe, keep it running, and still care about all the details of your life—and He won't ever run out of power, either.

It's crucial you get a handle on God's greatness. Because a teeny-weeny little God can't do anything for you. When you see the impact of sin—pain and suffering and despair—a little God can't offer hope, and He certainly can't save you. But the God of the Bible operates on full power, and David wanted you to see that.

Just read David's reflection on the wonder of birth and human life: "You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works" (Psalm 139:13-14). God's work in you and in your life is not only marvelous but meticulous. As a human being, you are at the pinnacle of God's creation.

That truth goes against what a lot of us think about our bodies. We get daily messages about how we don't measure up—too tall, too short, too skinny, too fat, too pale, too dark—but David reminded us, "You are marvelous in God's eyes." This is true from the moment of conception to the moment you die. We live in a world that values life less and less, but every life counts to God, because He "skillfully wrought" each of us in the womb (v. 15).

Even more importantly, God cares for you. He thinks about you all the time. As David said, "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!" (v. 17). You matter to the Creator of the universe.

What does that mean for your everyday life? First of all, it should produce in you a sense of importance. You're not an accident. You can wake up each morning and say, "I'm God's crowning creation; there's a reason I exist."

Next, it should fill you with faith. If God is that big, that powerful, and that careful with you, you can trust Him with every bit of your life—your problems, your future, your dreams.

Finally, it should give you a sense of responsibility. Since God has a purpose for you and since you can trust Him with everything, then you should make sure you understand His will and purpose for you. Paul prayed for this very thing—that "you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Colossians 1:9).

So how big and powerful is your God? Big enough for all you will ever need