Wow, Luke 12 is one tough chapter. It deals with religious hypocrisy, fear and anxiety, greed, rewards and punishment, division, and remaining ready!
At the beginning of the chapter Jesus warns against religious hypocrisy and then immediately reminds his listeners that worldly rulers can only kill the body so if they are going to fear anyone, fear God because he has authority to “throw people into hell after death.” [vss 1-5]
Then Jesus finishes off that admonition with the most precious promise to those who do fear God. “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!” [vss 6-7 HCSB]
I am reminded of that last sentence every day. “Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!”
We have a bird feeder in our backyard. It is a wide platform on the top of the fence that Bob keeps filled with seed. In the summer just a few little birds and doves come by for a snack. We live amid agricultural land so in summer there is a lot of feed around. But in winter, when the ground freezes, the fields have been plowed and made ready for spring, and when snow arrives, that bird feeder is full of little birds.
Those little birds camp out in our cedar trees next to the feeder and they fly from tree to food and back again multiple times. Sometimes a small hawk will visit because it too is looking for food.
When I see those little birds, I remember how insignificant they are in the grand scheme of things, yet God remembers each one of them. When I think about my life, I remember how insignificant I am in the grand scheme of this world, yet God … knows me and He even loves me!
“I am worth more than many sparrows!”
Thank you, Precious LORD!
