No, you didn’t read that wrong! When your legs and arms first appeared in the womb, they bent in the same direction. But as you developed, your legs and arms rotated in opposite directions. Is that crazy, or what?

You might be surprised to discover that your legs are on backwards compared to your arms. (The simple experiment presented below will show you this.) If you stand up straight with your palms facing forward, your forearms will bend forward at the elbow, but your lower legs will bend backward at the knee.

We can thank our Creator, however, for His wisdom in making us this way. If our arms flexed backward like our legs, it would be difficult to see our hands working behind our backs. On the other hand, if our legs flexed in the opposite direction, it would be difficult to walk forward.

God gave His creatures a variety of designs to suit His purposes. Bats’ legs, for example, are not completely rotated. As a result, the bat can’t walk on the ground, but its legs are perfectly designed for flying and hanging upside down in caves.

The crucial rotation in our legs and arms occurs while we are developing in our mother’s womb. At first our arms and legs are bent in the same direction, but as we develop, our arms rotate 90 degrees in one direction, while our legs rotate 90 degrees in the opposite direction. This results in our arms and legs facing in opposite directions.

So the next time you want to use your hands or feet, remember that God designed them for a purpose and He wants you to use them for His honor and glory. For example, you can bend your knees, fold your hands in prayer, and thank Him for Jesus who saved you from sin and death.