May 13, 2014
Read: Psalm 139:7-16
What is there about babies that makes us smile? Many people will stop everything at the sight or sound of a baby and will flock to gaze at the little one. I noticed this when I visited my dad at a nursing home. Though most of the residents were wheelchair-bound and suffered from dementia, the visit of a family with a baby almost unfailingly brought a spark of joy to their eyes that—tentatively at first but then undoubtedly—became a smile. It was amazing to watch.
Perhaps babies bring a smile because of the wonder of a new life—so precious, tiny, and full of promise. Seeing a baby can remind us of our awesome God and the great love He has for us. He loved us so much that He gave us life and formed us in our mother’s womb. “You formed my inward parts,” the psalmist says, “You covered me in my mother’s womb” (Ps. 139:13).
Not only does He give us physical life but He also offers us spiritual rebirth through Jesus (John 3:3-8). God promises believers new bodies and life eternal when Jesus returns (1 Cor. 15:50-52).
Physical life and spiritual rebirth—gifts to celebrate from our Father’s hand.
He formed his body from the dust of earth;
But more than that, to all who are in Christ
He gives eternal life by second birth. —Hess
Insight
In David’s inspired reflections on the presence of God everywhere, we see an eloquent description of the child’s development within the mother’s womb. “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret” (v.15). God’s providential oversight of the development of new life is a testimony to the image of God in humans. God cares about us and our need for rescue. It was because of this love that He became a man and purchased redemption for all who place their trust in Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.