Invisible (?) Sparrows

16JAN2017

During my God Time today, I observed some sparrows in my front yard feasting on whatever they could find amongst the dry brown grass of winter.  They caught my eye ONLY because the moved.

I first thought they were fallen dried leaves being moved by a breeze—that’s how excellent God has made their camouflage!  These little birds were literally blending into the surroundings.  If I hadn’t already locked my eyes on them, they would have become invisible to me again with their next move.

Seeing these little, and basically invisible birds on the ground made me think of Matthew 10:29-31, where Jesus talks about them.  He mentions how common—and therefore cheap—they are but goes on to say that “not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care [will]” (NIV).

Now, if/since their demise occurs only when God allows it, then that means no predator, disease, storms or force of nature can sneak in and threaten that little bird without God being fully aware of it.  They certainly will not have the power to take that life when it’s not God’s will for such to happen!

If Matthew’s words aren’t enough to convince you that God is very mindful and watching over these insignificant creatures, then consider Luke’s version (12:6-7), where the birds cost even less, “yet not one of them is forgotten by God” (NIV).  Truly, as the old gospel song says, “His eye is on the sparrow!”

The only reason I knew where one of the birds was, even when it “disappeared” into its surroundings, was because I had already locked my gaze on it.  Likewise, God has had His eyes on you from the very start of your life.  He always knows where you are and what’s going on around you.

This isn’t that intimidating stare that’s intent on catching you doing wrong.  No, this is the loving gaze that says, “I can’t keep my eyes off you!”

This little sparrow certainly didn’t have any eye-catching color, plumage or obvious distinct features.  Nothing like the woodpecker I caught glimpse of in my peripheral vision.

In fact, if the little sparrow had already fallen dead on the ground when I first looked out this morning, I would not have noticed it at all.  Its camouflaging color and its size would have made it invisible, unless I got out in the yard and happened to be close enough to where it lay.

(So, how many dead sparrows have we walked by and otherwise failed to notice as we look across a yard or field?!?  God knows.)

Have you ever felt like this sparrow?  Small, insignificant, cheap or even worthless?  Plain or even ugly?  Just one of the masses, lost in the crowd, with nothing special about you?

If so, then let this truth from Jesus’ lips encourage you:  God, who is aware of every sparrow, is very aware of you!  He knows the exact number of hairs on your head (Matt. 10:30-31, Luke 12:7)—a number that changes daily!

Jesus reassures us that we are worth far more than many of the winged creatures known as sparrows.  So even if we are considered by others to be the sparrows of humanity, our loving Heavenly Father still sees and knows all about us, even when we’re invisible to everyone else.

Thanks for reading!  (Feel the love!)

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™