Created to Connect with God
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
(Psalm 139:13–14 NASB 1995)
When God created humanity, He put something of Himself in each of us. Unlike the beasts of the field or the birds of the sky or the blooming plants in the dirt, He placed within us His “image.”
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27 NASB)
That “image” sets human beings apart from all other living things on earth. With body, soul, and spirit, we are able to get in touch not only with our feelings, but with Him, our Creator. And, equally important, He is able to communicate with us. Unlike other creatures who operate their lives out of instinct, we are equipped with sufficient “internal machinery” to connect with the living God.
In fact, when we become children of God through faith in His Son, that connection with Him takes on a whole new dimension. As Paul wrote so clearly,
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father!” For his spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are children of God. (Romans 8:14–16)
Look closely at that concluding comment. God’s Spirit literally communicates with—bears witness with—our inner being, called here “our spirit.” In other words, an entire system of inner communication is established at the time of salvation, making it possible for us to receive whatever it is the Spirit wishes to communicate!
The ancient writer of Psalm 139 exclaimed how uniquely created we are. I suggest that uniqueness includes secret inner chambers and hidden capacities other created beings lack. I also would suggest that such an inner system provides for the reception of divine information and the understanding of biblical truths, unknown to the animal kingdom.
By being “fearfully and wonderfully made,” we are equipped to grasp the Spirit’s messages as well as sense His compelling, awesome presence. That explains why we can hear His “still small voice” and decipher messages of peace or warning, conviction or guidance. God created us with that capacity.
Taken from Flying Closer to the Flame by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1993 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Deepen your intimacy with the living God by reading Embraced by the Spirit, an updated release of Flying Closer to the Flame.
