FILAS Women Online

Devotional for a deeper, more intimate walk with the God who knows you completely.

Day 92 of 139 — 47 Days Remaining After Today

Today’s Spiritual Theme

God Knew You From the Beginning

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 139:13 (KJV)

“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.”

Supporting Scripture — Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Devotional Reflection

God Knew You From the Beginning

Sis, have you ever stopped to think about how much of your life you’ve spent trying to become the woman you thought you were supposed to be? Maybe you’ve worked hard to meet expectations, make other people proud, prove that you’re capable, or demonstrate that you deserve the opportunities you’ve been given. And while there’s nothing wrong with working hard, growing, or wanting to do well, sometimes we become so focused on proving our worth that we forget something important: Our value didn’t begin when somebody recognized it.

Psalm 139:13 says, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.” David is acknowledging God’s intimate involvement in his formation. The word reins refers to the innermost parts of a person, traditionally associated with the kidneys and, figuratively, our deepest inward being. David recognized that God knew him long before other people could see who he would become. His life was never hidden from God’s sight.

And Sis, I think that’s something we need to spend a little time considering. Before anybody knew your name, before you accomplished anything, before you made your first mistake, and before you began trying to figure out who you were supposed to become, God already knew you. He didn’t have to wait for you to develop certain abilities, achieve a particular level of success, or become somebody other people admired before your life mattered to Him.

Now, here’s something I’ve been thinking about. We live in a world where people are constantly evaluating one another. We’re evaluated by our performance at work, our responsibilities at home, our involvement in ministry, our accomplishments, our appearance, and sometimes even by how much we seem to have everything together. And if we’re not careful, we begin measuring our own worth by those same standards. We feel good about ourselves when we’re accomplishing something, receiving recognition, or meeting expectations. But when we struggle, make mistakes, or experience setbacks, we begin questioning whether we’re enough.

And Sis, let me say this: Your worth is not something you have to earn through constant performance. You can be committed to personal growth without believing that your value depends on how much you accomplish. You can acknowledge your weaknesses without allowing them to define your entire identity. And you can receive correction without concluding that you’re somehow less valuable because you still have areas where you need to grow.

Jeremiah 1:5 gives us another beautiful picture of God’s knowledge. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.” In this passage, God was speaking specifically to Jeremiah about his calling as a prophet. We should be careful not to assume that every detail of Jeremiah’s calling applies to every person in exactly the same way. But the passage does reveal something important about God’s knowledge and sovereignty. He is not limited to what human beings can see or understand, and His knowledge is not confined to the moment someone becomes visible to the world.

And here’s where I want us to be careful, Sis. Sometimes we hear messages about being created for a purpose, and we immediately begin putting pressure on ourselves to discover some extraordinary assignment. We start wondering whether we’re doing enough, accomplishing enough, or making a big enough difference. But perhaps we need to remember that our relationship with God is not simply about identifying something impressive to accomplish. It’s about learning to love Him, walk in obedience, grow in character, and faithfully serve Him through the opportunities and responsibilities before us.

Sometimes purpose is expressed in ways that don’t receive public attention. It’s reflected in the patience we demonstrate toward our families, the integrity we practice when nobody is watching, the compassion we show someone who is struggling, or the faithfulness we maintain in responsibilities that seem ordinary. A meaningful life isn’t necessarily the one receiving the most recognition.

And Sis, I also want us to think about how much power we’ve given to other people’s opinions. Someone says something critical, and we replay it for days. Someone overlooks our efforts, and we begin questioning whether what we’re doing matters. Someone else receives an opportunity we hoped for, and suddenly we’re comparing our progress to theirs. Before we know it, we’ve allowed people who only see a portion of our lives to influence how we view our entire worth.

But God knows the whole story. He knows the experiences that have shaped you, the challenges you’ve faced, the strengths He’s given you, and the areas where you’re still growing. And while His complete knowledge of us should encourage humility and a willingness to change, it should also remind us that no single opinion, mistake, or season of life tells the entire story of who we are.

Maybe you’ve spent years carrying a label somebody placed on you. Maybe you’ve been called difficult because you finally established a boundary. Maybe someone underestimated your abilities, questioned your decisions, or made you feel as though you didn’t belong. Or perhaps the harshest voice you’ve been listening to is your own. You’ve spent so much time reminding yourself of what you haven’t accomplished that you’ve overlooked the ways you’ve grown.

Sis, you do not have to allow somebody else’s limited understanding of you to become the final word about your life.

That doesn’t mean we dismiss every criticism or refuse to examine ourselves. Sometimes other people can help us recognize things we need to change. But there’s a difference between receiving constructive correction and allowing somebody’s opinion to determine your worth. Spiritual maturity requires us to remain teachable without becoming controlled by the approval of others.

And as we continue our Challenge139 journey, I want us to remember why we’ve been spending so much time in this beautiful psalm. David wasn’t simply celebrating how wonderfully God knew him. He was also inviting God to search his heart and lead him in the way everlasting. Knowing that God has been aware of our lives from the beginning should encourage us to become more intentional about how we live today.

So, Sis, maybe today is a good day to stop asking whether you’re impressive enough, successful enough, or recognized enough. Instead, ask yourself whether you’re growing in the areas that truly matter. Are you becoming more patient? More compassionate? More honest? More willing to forgive? More attentive to God’s Word? More faithful in the responsibilities He’s entrusted to you?

Because the woman you’re becoming matters, even when the world isn’t paying attention.

And here’s what I want you to carry with you today:

Before the world knew your name, God knew you.

Before anybody celebrated your accomplishments, your life mattered to Him.

Before somebody formed an opinion about you, He already understood you.

And before you began discovering your strengths and weaknesses, nothing about your life was hidden from His sight.

Sis, stop allowing the opinions of people to carry more weight than the truth of God’s Word.

You are not defined solely by what you’ve accomplished, what you’ve experienced, or what somebody else thinks about you.

You are a person created by God, known by Him, and invited to grow in relationship with Him.

And that’s a beautiful place to begin understanding your worth.

Journal Prompt

Who Has Been Defining My Worth?

Today, take a few moments to reflect on how you see yourself.

1. Have I been allowing other people’s opinions, expectations, or approval to determine how I feel about myself?

Think about whose voice has been influencing your confidence.

2. What label or belief about myself have I been carrying that may not reflect the truth of God’s Word?

Consider whether it came from a past experience, someone else’s criticism, or your own negative self-talk.

3. What would change if I stopped measuring my worth by my accomplishments and started focusing more intentionally on my spiritual growth?

Today’s Declaration:

“Lord, You knew me before the world knew my name. Help me recognize my worth through the truth of Your Word rather than the opinions and expectations of others. Continue shaping me into the woman You are calling me to become.”

Today’s Challenge

Remember Who Knew You First

Today, we’re going to practice separating our worth from the opinions and expectations of others.

Step 1 — Identify the Voice

Write down one opinion, criticism, or expectation that has been influencing how you view yourself.

Step 2 — Examine It Through God’s Word

Ask yourself whether that belief reflects biblical truth or whether you’ve allowed someone else’s perspective to become your identity.

Step 3 — Recognize Your Growth

Write down three ways you’ve grown emotionally, spiritually, or personally over the past year.

They don’t have to be major accomplishments. Sometimes growth is reflected in how differently we respond to situations that once overwhelmed us.

Step 4 — Encourage Another Woman

Remind someone today that her worth isn’t determined by how much she accomplishes or how many people recognize her efforts.

Sometimes the encouragement we need is the same encouragement someone else has been waiting to hear.

Today’s reminder: You don’t have to prove your worth to the world. Focus on becoming faithful to the God who knew you from the beginning.

Today’s Prayer

Lord, thank You for knowing me long before the world knew my name. Thank You for Your involvement in my life from the very beginning and for reminding me that my worth is not determined by the opinions, expectations, or approval of others. Forgive me for the times I’ve allowed criticism, comparison, or the desire for recognition to influence how I see myself. Sometimes I become so focused on what I haven’t accomplished that I overlook the ways You’ve been helping me grow. Lord, search my heart and reveal the places where I’ve allowed insecurity, fear, or pride to shape my identity. Help me receive correction with humility without allowing it to diminish my sense of worth. Teach me to appreciate the strengths You’ve given me while remaining willing to grow in the areas where I need improvement. Remind me that my life matters even when my efforts go unnoticed, and help me extend that same understanding and compassion to others. As I continue this Challenge139 journey, may I become more confident in Your truth, more faithful in my responsibilities, and more intentional about living in a way that honors You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sis, Remember This…

Before the world knew your name, God knew you. Your worth didn’t begin when somebody recognized it, and it doesn’t disappear when somebody fails to see it.

Sis, stop allowing people who only know a portion of your story to determine how you feel about your entire life. God knows you completely, and your worth has never depended on their approval. 💗