For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36

I have been struggling lately with the seemingly unending crisis with the Corona virus and the impending collapse of our economy. Added to the mix this week has been the horrible murder of a helpless man by the police in Minnesota. All of these bring into focus not only the loss of the many but also the value of even one single life. But when it feels like there are no human answers, God sometimes sends encouragement by His most unlikely messengers. I thought of the morning a few winters back when I stopped to clear the walkways at our church after a heavy snow. As I pulled into the parking lot I was surprised to see a squirrel sitting on the railing by the side door happily eating a roll left over from our missions banquet. I wondered if maybe his provisions of nuts were exhausted. I thought about how his plans for survival seemed slim compared to the harshness of winter. But he wasn’t at all worried that morning. As he shook his tail and ran off I realized that He seemed to know better than me, that God would take care of him!

So if God watches out for a hungry squirrel, imagine how He cares for us. Jesus tells us that the value of a one single soul is more than everything in the world. One life weighs more on God’s scales than all the earth’s riches, natural wonders, and amazing creatures. For one single life, Jesus paid with the price of His precious blood. God remembers. God cares. God alone sets the value of every single human soul!