The Work of His Hands

Key Scripture

“For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
—Psalm 139:13–14

The Story

Before a single piece of wood was cut, the pantry existed in my mind.
I knew its purpose, how it needed to function, and the beauty I envisioned for it.
I drew up the plans, gathered the materials, and the sawdust began to fly.

In the beginning, anyone visiting my workshop would have seen only a pile of random boards and a mountain of sawdust.
To an outsider, it didn’t look much like a pantry. But to me, it already was.

Slowly, I began gluing boards into panels, shaping and smoothing them.
Soon, the prepared parts were arranged in neat stacks.
Still, to a visitor, it was just an organized collection of wood.
But I could see the finished product with perfect clarity.

Next came the detailed work: cutting the joints, fabricating the mechanisms for adjustable shelves and soft-close drawers.
Then, assembly. Finally, it looked like a pantry.
But the most time-consuming work had just begun.

The sanding and smoothing process took longer than all the previous steps combined.
During this phase, a casual observer might grow impatient, because the progress being made wasn’t always obvious to anyone but me.

Lastly, the finish was applied—multiple coats of paint and protective sealer, each followed by patient buffing with steel wool and a soft cloth.
This stage took even longer than the sanding.
The onlooker might wonder, “Why is this taking so long? It already looks finished!”
But I knew it still required these final layers of preparation and protection to fulfill the purpose for which it was being built.

When it was complete, I was filled with pride.
The doors opened and closed perfectly, the shelves adjusted effortlessly, and the drawers whispered as they moved.
When we set it in place and filled it with groceries, utensils, and keepsakes, my joy soared.

In time, the pantry began to show signs of a well-used life—dents and dings, scratches from the dog, chipped paint from the constant traffic of a large family.
I could see every imperfection it collected.
But none of them lessened the pride and joy I felt every time I saw it.

I loved that pantry, not because it was perfect, but because I had created it.

Nothing that happened to it could ever change the way I saw it,
for it had grown from a vision that started deep in my heart.
Its purpose mattered far more than its flaws.

Divine Perspective

And isn’t this how our Creator sees us?

The psalmist David captures this divine perspective beautifully in Psalm 139.
God knows us completely. He formed us intentionally. He saw us before we were finished—and loved us fully before we ever failed.

Just as I see the pantry not as a collection of flaws but as the fulfillment of a vision, so God sees us.
He sees the dents and dings we collect through life—our mistakes, our heartaches, our failures.
He is intimately aware of every imperfection.

Yet none of them diminish His love.

He loves us simply because we are His.
We are His workmanship—born from a vision of love deep in His heart—and nothing can ever change that.

In the Hard Seasons

You may be walking through a season of hardship, pain, or disappointment.
In those moments, it can feel as though God has grown distant.

But those are often the very seasons when He is sanding, shaping, and finishing.
He has not stepped away.
He is still working with care.

Today, be loved.
Be accepted.
Be who you were created to be—dents, dings, scratches, and all.

You were prepared for a purpose.

Reflection

How might your perspective change today if you truly saw yourself as God’s beloved workmanship—designed with purpose, imperfections included?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for seeing us not for our flaws, but as Your wonderful work.
Help us rest in the truth that we are fearfully and wonderfully made,
created with intention, and loved unconditionally by You.
Amen.

Takeaway Thought

You are not loved in spite of your imperfections—
you are loved because you are His.