The Sparrow
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
~Matthew 10:29-31
God encourages us not to fear by two striking considerations;
First, He takes care of sparrows, the smallest and least valuable of birds; Sparrows were the cheapest commodity sold in the markets as food for the poor; an assarion (penny) was a small coin (one-sixteenth of a denarius, thus equivalent to less than an hour’s wage). Yet as worthless as sparrows were to people, God watched over them.
Second, God also numbers the hairs on our head. So if He knows about our trivial (unimportant) hair then certainly He knows our thoughts, feelings, trials, fears, hopes, dreams, desires and so much more. All this intimate knowledge Heavenly Father has for us is just one of the many demonstrations of Gods love for us.
So if He takes care of birds of the least value and if He regards so small a thing as the number of hairs on our head…..He will certainly protect and provide for us in all our needs. The scope of God’s attentive care of His creation is so great that even an insignificant sparrow cannot die without Him being aware and approving that such a thing should happen. How awesome!
You need not, therefore, fear what man can do to you.
Know and trust that God is with you always….
*Birds are not just beautiful and awe-inspiring; God has used them throughout history to teach human beings many lessons. Here are just a few
Jesus used birds in His parables. He reminded His disciples that the birds of the air do not sow or reap, yet God feeds them—and He values human beings even more (Matthew 6:26)
Christ told his disciples to be as harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16).
Christ used the analogy of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings for protection to show how much He deeply cares for mankind. (Matthew 23:37)
When the children of Israel complained in the wilderness about not having meat to eat, God brought innumerable quail to the camp (Numbers 11:31-32).
God fed the prophet Elijah by ordering ravens to bring him food morning and evening while he hid in the wilderness (1 Kings 17).