For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother�s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)

Itââ?¬â?¢s official ââ?¬â?? next year Iââ?¬â?¢m going to be a Grandad! Now I know what youââ?¬â?¢re thinking ââ?¬â?? that I look far too young to be a Grandad ââ?¬â?? but trust me, itââ?¬â?¢s really true. Iââ?¬â?¢ve already seen a picture of the scan (we didnââ?¬â?¢t have those in my day!) and at just 13 weeks you can already see thatââ?¬â?¢s itââ?¬â?¢s all there – head, body arms, legs and toes. The way God creates and grows this life from the moment of conception to a single cell and then through to a fully formed human body is just so amazing, such a miracle of design and function.

Some of the facts and figures relating to the human body are truly staggering. For example, the body contains 60,000 miles of blood vessels; the average human brain has about 100 billion nerve cells; an average human scalp has 100,000 hairs. (Iââ?¬â?¢m probably down to about half that!), thereââ?¬â?¢s about 9,000 taste buds on the tongue; it takes the interaction of 72 different muscles to produce human speech; the average human heart will beat 3,000 million times in its lifetime and pump 48 million gallons of blood; there are 45 miles of nerves in the skin of a human being; 15 million blood cells are destroyed in the human body every second; during a 24-hour period, the average human will breathe 23,040 times etc. etc. Iââ?¬â?¢ve often thought that it must be difficult to look at the true makeup of the human body and see it as just coming about by chance ââ?¬â?? even for an atheist that must be quite a challenge.

In this beautiful psalm, David writes in the context of his very life being in danger. He doesnââ?¬â?¢t know what the next day will bring ââ?¬â?? maybe life, maybe death. Itââ?¬â?¢s because of this that he feels compelled to declare the true reality of his life ââ?¬â?? that his existence is no twist of fate, no accident of circumstances but rather heââ?¬â?¢s been ââ?¬Ë?fearfully and wonderfully madeââ?¬â?¢; a definite decision by God to make him the way he is. And then he goes on to declare something about Godââ?¬â?¢s omniscience ââ?¬â?? not only has God created him, but He knew everything about him even while he was in his motherââ?¬â?¢s womb ââ?¬â?? physically, mentally, emotionally ââ?¬â?? God knew it all. David then proclaims this deeply profound statement, that ââ?¬Ë?all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to beââ?¬â?¢. Now much could be said about this statement but suffice to say that here David acknowledges that his life is completely in Godââ?¬â?¢s hands. God knows the end from the beginning ââ?¬â?? whatever happens to him, both good and bad, his life is secure and death wonââ?¬â?¢t come to him until God decrees it.

Personally, I know I�m not quite at that place of security yet although I think I�m gradually getting there. Hopefully, during my Grandad years, the reality of being a child of God will really sink in.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ââ?¬Å?Abraham! Abraham!ââ?¬Â
ââ?¬Å?Here I am,ââ?¬Â he replied.
ââ?¬Å?Do not lay a hand on the boy,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.ââ?¬Â
Genesis 22:9-12 (NIV)

There canââ?¬â?¢t be many things worse than losing your own child. How terrible it must be for the parents of the soldiers whoââ?¬â?¢ve been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan ââ?¬â?? their pride and joy being murdered in a far-off country by anonymous people who care nothing for their victims nor for the sanctity of human life. Or for the parents of Madeleine McCann and thousands of other sets of parents in a similar situation, whoââ?¬â?¢s child was abducted from their hotel room while on a family holiday in Portugal ââ?¬â?? how awful not knowing whatââ?¬â?¢s become of their daughter (at the time of writing, Madeleine’s still missing). Then thereââ?¬â?¢s the young people killed in road accidents ââ?¬â?? so often the victims of someone whoââ?¬â?¢s had a bit too much drink and in a reckless moment, people are killed. For the mum and dad, the effect of that moment lasts for the rest of their lives as they wrestle with the pain and grief of losing their child.

My own personal experience in this area is, thankfully, very limited. We once lost our son for several hours when he was about three years old. While the police were out searching for him, my mind went into something like a black hole ââ?¬â?? until eventually sheer relief when we got the call that heââ?¬â?¢d been found safe and well. A nice old couple had found him and taken him to the local health centre. Seeing him there playing with a teddy bear was a moment Iââ?¬â?¢ll never forget.

On another occasion, one of our daughters, then aged eight, was knocked over by a car when she�d run out into the road on her way home from school. We were told that the impact from the car had caused her to be flung into the air and then she slid along the road for about ten metres. Miraculously, she suffered only minor injuries but I�ve thought many times what might have been.

When God tested Abraham, He used the most precious thing in Abrahamââ?¬â?¢s world ââ?¬â?? the life of his only son whom heââ?¬â?¢d waited so many years to have. This wasnââ?¬â?¢t some kind of game ââ?¬â?? Abraham knew that he had to obey God and he was fully prepared to sacrifice Isaac, as he indeed demonstrated. One can only speculate about what was going on in his mind and emotions at the time. How amazing that he was prepared to go this far ââ?¬â?? I find his faith and trust in God so challenging. Whatââ?¬â?¢s the most precious thing in your world? Could you let it go if God asked you?

By the way, wasn�t there someone else who sacrificed their only son?