Psalm 139:14-16 declares, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
Albert Barnes provides insight into the phrase “all my members were written”:
“The words ‘my members’ are not in the original. The Hebrew is ‘all of them.’ The reference may be, not to the members of his body, but to his ‘days’—and then the sense would be, all my ‘days,’ or all the periods of my life, were delineated in thy book. That is, When my substance—my form—was not yet developed, when yet an embryo, and when nothing could be determined from that by the eye of man as to what I was to be, all the future was known to God, and was written down—just what should be my form and vigor; how long I should live; what I should be; what would be the events of my life.” (Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament. 1983. Baker Book House.)
Similarly, the prophet Jeremiah records God’s words: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). This emphasizes the incredible truth that God designed us with intention even before conception. God wrote the book of our lives and continues reaching for us so that His divine plan may be fulfilled. However, God does not promise a path of ease; instead, there is a process of brokenness.
Often, fruitfulness comes from brokenness. Jesus alluded to this when speaking of His impending death, “Except the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it abides alone; but if it die, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). A grain of wheat contains life, but its outer shell must break for the seed to grow. The process of breaking—through pressure, moisture, and temperature—allows new life to emerge. The question is not whether life exists within us but whether the outside shell is broken so God can bring growth and fruitfulness.
Brokenness often leads to victory. Who would have ever thought a battle could be won with pitchers, lights, and trumpets? Though it seems illogical, it was God’s way. Before the victory was wrought, the pitchers were smashed.
While the process of brokenness is uncomfortable, it is necessary for God to fulfill His purpose in our lives. Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalm 51:17 echoes this truth: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
Don’t underestimate what God wants to do in your life. All He needs are people willing to be broken and submitted to His will.
- Jephthah: Despite being the son of a prostitute and rejected by his brothers, he became Israel’s deliverer and was honored in the Bible’s hall of fame (Hebrews 11:32).
- David: Once a humble shepherd, he became a giant slayer and a great king in Israel.
- Ruth: A pagan and a foreigner who became part of the Messiah’s genealogy.
- Rahab: A harlot from the wicked city of Jericho, yet she became an ancestor of Jesus.
We were designed for a purpose. Let’s fulfill that purpose and hear our Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
