(a personal psalm)
(I will praise you;
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvelous are your works;
and that my soul knows right well.
–Psalm 139:14, King James Bible 2000
I do praise you, oh God, for the breathtaking wonder of the human body.
You put together trillions of cells that perform a multitude of functions in one harmonious whole.
As each of us was formed in our mothers’ wombs, you carefully engineered the transformation of cells into:
- blood vessels—an estimated 60,000 miles of them.
- more than 600 individual skeletal muscles. Two hundred of them are required for just one step—an indication of the complexity of the muscular system.
- organs, including the liver. Scientists have discovered five hundred functions for this highly important body part that we rarely think about.
- The heart–strong and reliable enough to beat more than 2.5 billion times over an average lifespan.
Within each cell nucleus is the DNA double helix, just 80 billionths of an inch long, yet “comprised of chemical bases arranged in approximately 3 billion precise sequences. Even the DNA molecule for a single-celled bacterium, E. coli, contains enough information to fill all the books in any of the world’s largest libraries.”*
(Model of the DNA double-helix)
Once this amazing organism called “human” begins functioning, you, oh God, orchestrate more wonder:
- Nerve impulses travel to and from the brain at 170 miles per hour.
- Noses (in conjunction with the brain) begin cataloging up to 50,000 scents.
- The heart pumps the equivalent of 2,000 gallons of blood through the vessels every day.
- The blood circulates through the body three times every minute.
- Cell replacement must occur frequently. Approximately 25 million new cells are being produced every second.
Yet the wonder continues. You’ve given us the power to think and reason.
- All the grooves or wrinkles in the brain provide more surface area, which equates to more processing power within the small confines of the skull.
- The brain is surrounded in fluid that acts like a cushion in case of impact, and as a barrier in case of disease.
- More than 100,000 chemical reactions occur in the brain every second.
- The brain contains billions of neurons that send electrical and chemical messages to the body. If all the neurons were lined up end to end, they’d stretch 600 miles.
- And for each neuron there are 1000 to 10, 000 synapses.
But you, oh God, weren’t finished yet! You created within each of us wonderful and unique abilities. Just among our family you’ve designed a (n):
- imaginative artist,
- caring school psychologist,
- attention-holding preacher,
- passionate psychiatrist,
- self-taught tech wizard, and
- talented graphics designer
(2010 — Shame on us for not having
a more recent photo of the whole family!)
How glorious to contemplate, O Lord, the breathtaking wonder of how we’re made. Hearts keep pumping, lungs keep breathing, nerve impulses keep sending messages–without a single voluntary thought. Our brains are capable of learning and storing an enormous amount of information. And everything works together in perfect unity.
I cannot begin to fathom your creativity, expert engineering, and attention to detail. Even if we were identical robots, we would have to stand in awe of your holy genius.
But you have made each person unique, designed to fulfill a specific purpose.
May I live close to you in order to be transformed day by day into the one you designed me to be.
*www.allaboutscience.org
Other sources: www.facts.randomhistory.com; www.health.howstuffowrks.com; www.icantseeyou.typepad.com, www.medindia.net; www.nursingassistantcentral.com; http://www.sciencekids.co.nz
Art & photo credits: www.pinterest.com; http://www.youtube.com; http://www.tr.wikipedia.org; http://www.superteachertools.us; http://www.pinterest.com; Nancy Ruegg
From the Inside Out 
WOW! Mind boggling to say the least. Thank you, Nancy, for such a wonderful message, and for posting the picture of your beautiful family. May God continue to bless you all!
Yes, I was mind-boggled myself as I researched these facts. And the more we learn, the more we bow in wondrous worship! I pray God’s blessing upon you too, Ruth, that even on the difficult days you sense his comforting, strength-giving presence around you.
Our God is awesome! Thanks for your work in reminding us. God has blessed your family.
Oh, yes! I praise God for each of our children and how God has worked in their lives. I praise him for our “adopted” children — the in-law kids — who have blended in perfectly and add more joy to our gatherings. Then, what grandmother could forego mentioning the supreme delight of grandchildren?! God IS awesome indeed!
I’ve been teaching our high school Sunday School class about evolution versus the irreduceable complexity of God’s creation. I can’t wait to share this with them!
Oh, that warms my heart! SO delighted that you found this post worthy to share with your class. Praise God! Thank you, Chili!
Thank you for this glorious reminder of the wonder of our bodies and of the even greater wonder of the One who designed us.
And thank you, Carol, for your encouragement. We DO stand in awe of our Creator God, don’t we!
The human body just amazes me – what a wonder. Thanks for taking us on a journey tonight to appreciate ourselves. Have a great weekend!!
It IS mind-boggling to consider all the workings of the human body, isn’t it.. Thank you for coming along on the journey!
Nancy, just this week I’ve been thinking about how the brain is constantly rewiring itself after damage or injury such as a stroke (like my Mom just had). The Lord indeed created a ‘Breathtaking Wonder’ when He made us! Just looking at the DNA double helix model…that is a work of art as well has function! And…to top it all off…think of all of the animals and their complex parts! And a big thank you for the family picture!
You and I had the same thought: In addition to mankind, there are millions (if you count all the insects, and tiny pond creatures, and bacteria, etc., etc.) of other living creatures God has created. Most of them are very complex, too. We ARE left shaking our heads in wonder, aren’t we! P.S. Glad you enjoyed the family pic, old as it is!!
We are most definitely fearfully and wonderfully made. It is not a medical question as to when life begins but it is a philosophical one.
I believe that the question, “When does life begin?” is also a moral one. I appreciate author/columnist Joe Bayly on the subject. Actually it was his son, Tim, (whom Joe quoted) who explained his thinking this way: if a hunter is out in the woods after deer and sees something move in the trees, he’ll make sure it’s a deer and not a human before he shoots. Using the same logic, Tim pointed out that we don’t know exactly when a fetus becomes a living soul, so we have no right to take its life, on the chance it may not be human yet (from Out of My Mind, Joe Bayly, Zondervan, 1993, p. 183.) The more we learn about the development of the fetus–how soon there’s a heart beating, how quickly the cells begin differentiating and taking on human form, how they react to stimuli–the more convinced I become that “life” begins sooner than later.
Thank you so much, Luther, for stopping by!
Yes, it absolutely is a moral one as the taking of innocent life is roundly condemned in the scriptures.