our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Nov 22, 2017, 1:18:13 AM11/22/17

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Seeing Masterpieces

You knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

My father creates custom quivers designed for archers to carry their arrows. He carves elaborate wildlife pictures into pieces of genuine leather, before stitching the material together.

During a visit, I watched him construct one of his works of art. His careful hands applied just the right pressure as he pressed a sharp blade into the supple leather, creating various textures. Then he dipped a rag into crimson dye and covered the leather with even strokes, magnifying the beauty of his creation.

God masterfully creates each person with uniqueness and purpose.

As I admired my dad’s confident craftsmanship, I realized how often I fail to acknowledge and appreciate my heavenly Father’s creativity manifested in others and even in myself. Reflecting on the Lord’s magnificent workmanship, I recalled King David’s affirmation that God creates our “inmost being” and that we’re “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:13–14).

We can praise our Creator in confidence because we know His “works are wonderful” (v. 14). And we can be encouraged to respect ourselves and others more, especially when we remember that the Maker of the Universe knew us inside and out and planned our days “before one of them came to be” (vv. 15–16).

Like the pliable leather carved by my father’s skilled hands, we are each beautiful and valuable simply because we are God’s one-of-a-kind creations. Each one of us, intentionally designed to be unique and purposed as God’s beloved masterpieces, contributes to reflect God’s magnificence.

Lord, thank You for creating us in Your perfect love. Please help us to see ourselves, and others, as Your unique masterpieces.

God masterfully creates each person with uniqueness and purpose.

看见杰作

我在母腹中，祢已覆庇我。-诗篇139篇13节

我父亲为人制作箭筒，让弓箭手能随身携带他们的箭矢。他先将野生动物的图片雕刻在好几片的真皮上，然后才将这些材料缝起来。

有一次我去探望他，看见他正在制作精美的箭筒。他用锋利的刀片在柔韧的皮革上进行皮雕，双手的力道恰到好处，刻出不同的纹理。之后，他用浸了绯红色染料的布，均匀地抹在皮革上，为他的创作增添美感。

当我欣赏父亲精湛的技艺时，我领悟到，我往往未能在他人、甚至在我自己身上，认出并欣赏天父的创造。在我思想上帝奇妙的工艺时，我想到大卫王曾清楚说道，是上帝创造我们的“肺腑”，而且我们“受造奇妙可畏”（诗篇139篇13-14节）。

我们可以充满信心地颂赞造物主，因为我们知道，祂的“作为奇妙”（14节）。当我们想到，宇宙的创造者深知我们的肺腑心肠，在我们“尚未度一日”之前，已经为我们定了计划（15-16节），就能激励我们以正确的态度看待自己和他人。

柔软的皮革经过我父亲的雕琢而精致美丽，我们也是上帝独一无二的创造，所以每个人都是美丽而珍贵的。上帝特意让我们每一个人都是独特的，并定意让我们成为祂钟爱的杰作，为要彰显祂的奇妙。

主啊，感谢祢，在祢完全的爱里创造了我们。
求祢帮助我们，
看待自己及他人有如祢独一无二的杰作。