The Experiences That Made Us Who We Are

“For you formed my inward parts;

    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

    my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

    the days that were formed for me,

    when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalms 139:13-16 ESV)

We who are flesh and blood human beings on this planet earth were all created by God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. For God formed all of us in the wombs of our mothers. He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, and wonderful are his works. And that means that God is the one who decided who our parents and siblings would be, knowing full well everything that it would entail as to where we would live and what our experiences would be. For God is all knowing, and so he knew what our lives would be like before he made us.

So, even if we had a difficult childhood, and even if we were abused and/or abandoned by either parent, or by both, or by siblings, or by neighbors, or by “church people,” or by pastors, or by other family members, God knew all of this was going to happen in our lives, and yet he put us in the wombs of our mothers, and he placed us in the families that he did. And for us who are believing in Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior, those experiences serve his purposes in our lives in making us who we are and who he wants us to be. For he never promised us that life would be easy, did he?

And the Scriptures definitely do not teach that the life of a follower of Christ will be rosy and without trials and tribulations. In fact, the opposite of that is taught. We are taught that we will be hated, rejected, abandoned, cast aside as unwanted, persecuted, falsely accused of wrongdoing, harassed, mocked, laughed at, called “crazy,” and “of the devil,” if our worship of God is true worship and if we are following him in obedience to his commands in holy living. For that is how they treated Jesus Christ, and he said that his followers will be treated as he was, because we follow Christ in obedience.

Now one of my grandchildren recently gave me a book called, “Legacy Journal, a Generational Story.” And it was a “fill in the blank” kind of book with questions for me to answer about myself and my life and family and my experiences. And the purpose of the book was to allow me to share the experiences that made me who I am so that future generations could learn from the legacy that I left behind. So I prayed about it, and I answered the questions as honestly and as kindly and thoughtfully as I was able, and as the Lord led me in what to say, and then I shared it with my family.

And in reality, that is what the Bible is. It is a “Legacy Journal” which details for us the lives and experiences of people in Bible times and their journeys. And the purpose is so that we, who are the future generations of that time period, can learn from the legacy that those people’s lives left behind. And some of those stories are about their failures. Some are about how they were mistreated by others. Some are success stories of their walks of faith and obedience to the Lord, and others are stories of rebellion and unbelief and of sinful lifestyles. All of their experiences serve a purpose in our lives.

“Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:6-11 ESV)

So, don’t be afraid to share your stories, for they might help save human lives! This is not to sensationalize, nor to drag anyone in the dirt, but so that you know and understand the struggle that some of us have had and how some of us have overcome by the grace of God, and in his power, strength, and wisdom. For if we get this false idea that everyone lives an easy life or has never done wrong or has never struggled with sin ever, or that we are all alone in our trials, we won’t necessarily know that there is a way out and that there is a way to peace with God and joy, even in our suffering.

For the Bible is full of stories of people’s lives and of their failures as well as of their successes. And these are written down for us so that we might not desire evil as they did, or so that we might overcome evil as some of them did, too. So be willing to share your testimonies of how God has worked in your lives in changing you, and in getting you through difficult times, and of your sufferings, as well as of your victories over darkness. But this is not an opportunity to gossip but to share experiences which might help others in gaining victory over their trials and tribulations. So be an encourager!

As the Deer 

By Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water

 So my soul longeth after You

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield

 To You alone may my spirit yield

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

Caution: This link may contain ads