By MARY GEISEN
No two fingerprints are the same. If I laid my hands next to yours and we looked at each detail, we would find incredible beauty and uniqueness. You can identify me by my fingerprints. But God created me as a one-of-a-kind being with multiple layers that define who I am, so even though my fingerprints uniquely identify me, I am much more than that.
God declares in Jeremiah 1:5 that, “He knew us before He formed us in the womb and He set us apart before we were born.” Words that point to the deep love and delight God has for each of us. Words that remind us that who we are is the sum of what God has written, not just fingerprints uniquely lined to describe us.
I struggle with identity. Recognizing the truth that God chose me as His daughter somehow gets lost in the shuffle of my life. As soon as I think I have my identity under control, one little thing derails me. What I know is that I care too much about what others think. I look to others for reassurance and affirmation and forget that I already have all I need. When God created me, He gave me the gift of Himself. I need look no further than my Father, who because of nothing I do on my own, affirms I am His beautiful daughter.
You, too, are more than the sum of your fingerprints. Everything about you is beautiful and unique. When the Father created you, He called you beautiful, worthy, beloved. When God created me, He spoke similar words over me. What does your love note look like that God leaves for you?
FOR FURTHER THOUGHT I am learning that I need look no further than the Father to discover who I am. On the days I struggle with my identity because I think I’m not qualified or good enough, I turn to God, who tells me “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). What would it take for you to believe that you are exactly who God says you are? Is there a Bible verse you go to when you need affirmation that God loves and cherishes you? Declaring those words of truth over yourself daily will allow truth to root itself deeper into your being.
Not only does God create us with unique fingerprints, He also leaves signs of His own fingerprints in all of creation. Luci Shaw, in her book, Thumbprint in the Clay, writes these words:
“Just as each human thumbprint is unique, in its pattern inscribed on the work of our hands and minds, the Creator’s is even more so–the original thumbprint on the universe. It can be seen in the whorls of suns and planets in space, in the nebulae, and closer to home in the fractal patterns of tree branches and roots, in the formation of crystals in geodes and diamonds, frost and coal.”
If the God of the Universe designed creation with such diversity, who is to say that how He created you is not the most beautiful thing you can imagine. Rest in your unique identity as a treasured child of God. Know that God loves you more than you can fathom.
PRAYER God of the Universe, thank you for the beautiful creation of me. From my head to my feet, you for designed me to reflect your image and equipped me with all I need. I praise you for my unique identity and my story. May I use my gifts to honor and glorify you. Amen.
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