His Eye is on the Sparrow
What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31
I remember when I was about 10 years old sitting at my grandmother’s kitchen table as we looked out the window and watched a small sparrow hop from a tree branch to the ground. Back-and-forth he continued to go. Because it was the end of November, and beginning to get very windy, I became worried about this small defenseless bird. I asked my grandmother what would happen to him, he looked so small and alone. “Maybe he won’t even make it through the winter,” I said. My grandmother replied, “You don’t need to be worried about him, God will watch over him.” And as those words of my grandmother sunk into my heart, I found myself smiling as I watched this bird with his busy activity.
I still have a great fondness of watching sparrows, and thinking, not only of my grandmother’s words, but of the above Bible verse. What I did not realize until many years later was that this verse was said by Jesus, while He was telling His disciples how difficult it would be to share His message with others. He warned them to expect to be rejected, maligned, mistreated, and even rejected by loved ones.
As difficult as it is to strive to share our faith and live putting God first above everything and everyone else, God reminds us how much He values and loves us. God is aware, when even a single sparrow lands on the ground (some biblical scholars say this is a better interpretation than when a sparrow falls to the ground implying it has died). And we are worth far more to God than many sparrows. In fact, even the hairs on our head are numbered. On average, we have between 90,000 and 150,000 hairs on our head. God is saying how deeply He cares about every aspect of our life, even to the smallest details.
We can have faith and courage that as we follow Jesus, sharing His love and message of forgiveness, the Truth of His Word, God is constantly with us, watching over us. He is providing the protection, strength, and ability we need for the mission He has given us.
Father God, empower us by Your Holy Spirit to share the good news of Jesus Christ with Your power and true humility. May we embrace this calling that You have given us, trusting that we may not live easy lives, but abundant and fruitful lives for You. Amen.