“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Ps. 139: 14
Today’s Christian daily devotional
My husband drops the mail on the counter and leaves me alone to sort through it. I sift through the thick pile. It is the typical assortment of bills, coupons to restaurants we would never visit and advertisements to my favorite stores.
Of course, my eye catches a beautiful beach babe on the cover of the latest Victoria’s Secret catalog. Against my own better interest, I crack it open. I can’t help myself—I must see what beautiful temptations are missing from my closet.
I start with the intention of finding clothes; but that goal quickly drops to the wayside. Instantly, the flawless women that are displaying the clothes distract me from my purpose of shopping. It seems like every item shows off every perfect curve.
I cast a glance at a nearby mirror, soaking in the horror of the reality staring back at me. My butt does not stand as high or as perky as I remember. Surely my oversized and wrinkled pajamas aren’t doing much to help the situation. But my face could go back a decade and I would have no issue with that, either. With every year that quickly passes, my fantasies of looking like a Victoria’s Secret model become slimmer than the girl’s thighs.
Totally defeated, a heavy sigh escapes from the depths of me. Being the masochist that I am, I cannot stop flipping through the magazine. I am not just having a “fat” day; I am having a “Shrek” day. Forget about fashion–I feel like putting a brown bag on my head and waiting until dusk comes before I leave the house. Wisdom snaps me out of my foggy depression for a moment and I drop the catalog in the trash. But the damage has already been done. My self-esteem went right down with it.
When I read Ps. 139:14 it is a bit hard for me to swallow. I wonder if the Psalmist would be singing the same tune if He was on the Victoria’s Secret mailer list.
Jealousy and envy make it hard to enjoy the wonderful things God has blessed us with. Greed is the root of a heart that is jealous. It is basically saying that we are entitled to “have it all” and anyone else who is blessed will have to suffer from the whiplash of our insecurity. The only thing that can result from that is a life of loneliness.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I am tired of comparing myself to others. I know that I will never measure up to my own idea of perfection and I am not able to keep up with my minimum requirements to stay in a happy place.
I am done. Now where do I go from here? How do I base my self worth on something that is valuable and lasting?
Beauty fades but greediness, jealousy and envy run deep and are ugly to the bone. I no longer want to partake in that cup of poison.
Lord, I give you my mind today and I promise to search through your word and let the mind of God influence my mind. I will replace the lies I have told myself and heard from others with the truth of your word.
I will base my worth and value on whatever you have to say about me, because I know that it not only is the truth, it is the only thing that can heal whatever is broken within me. In Jesus’ precious name, I accept what you have to say about me and I promise not to waste another moment feeling bad about where I am today, because each day I know I am getting better and more like Christ. Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verses: Psalms. 139: 14
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan