Not Artificial. Not Accidental. Made by God.

By Dr. Al Hearne II

Psalm 139:14, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

We live in the rapidly growing and expanding world of artificial intelligence (AI). It’s now August 2025 and AI has reached stunning levels of sophistication. Machines like the robot Ameca can carry on fluid conversations, mimic emotions, and speak multiple languages. They can even crack a joke, such as, “How do you get a baby robot to sleep? You rocket it!” They can simulate facial expressions, yet machines do not have a soul. AI can generate art, write essays, and imitate what it means to be human. But it will never be human. It cannot love. It cannot worship. It cannot carry the breath of God.

Only people made in the image of God are able to love, worship, and breathe.

Psalm 139:14 boldly declares that we are not random, robotic, or replaceable. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” These words were not written for machines; they were written for image-bearers. The Hebrew word for “fearfully” means awe, reverence, and divine craftsmanship, while the word “wonderfully” means being set apart, uniquely created by God with beauty and purpose.

You are not the product of algorithms. You are not a line of code. You are the intentional work of a loving Creator, formed with care, known before birth; designed to grow in wisdom, identity, and faith.

Application

This week, when you hear children talk about AI, filters, or social media, remind them: no machine can know God, and no technology can give them identity. That can only come from their Maker. Take a moment to reflect on how you see yourself. Are you tempted to measure your worth by performance, productivity, or how well you "keep up"? Let Psalm 139:14 shift your vision. You are not here to impress the world. You are here to glorify the One who “fearfully and wonderfully” made you.

Read Psalm 139:13–16 with your children and underline the parts that show how intimately God knows each of us.

Reflection - Ask your children to reflect upon the following questions:

What makes a person valuable?
Do you think a robot could ever really love?
Why do you think God made people instead of machines to reflect His image?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for fearfully and wonderfully making all people in your image. Of all your creations, only people have your divine fingerprints upon their lives. You uniquely formed us, generously giving us gifts, talents, and the ability to fulfill the good works you already prepared for us. Daily remind us that in a world filled with a growing use of AI, we are not artificial, we are not accidental, we are made by You! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Devotional