Made by God

How wonderful it is to be fashioned by God through His commandments!

Psalm 119:73 reads, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments” (NKJV). This is the prayer of the man who loves the LORD’s commandments (verse 47), and it is obvious that he means more than just memorising the actual commandments. So, what does he mean?

This man recognises that the LORD has “made” him. That seems obvious, but then he states that the LORD has “fashioned” him. The idea behind the word translated “fashioned” is ‘to cause to stand in an upright position’. The NEB translates this, “made me what I am”. I picture this man not only recognising that he has been made by the LORD, but that he has also been moulded and crafted by the LORD’s hand into a person of responsibility who is enabled to stand erect before his maker. The LORD has made this man to be a person of responsibility and accountability while blessing him with God-given gifts and abilities. In a sense he is like a blank canvas and he must now decide what he will draw on that canvas.