Jesus

He Watches Sparrows

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Matthew 10:29

bird sparrow

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In Jesus’ day sparrows were common and held value only for what brief use anyone might have of them. Sometimes I have wondered, why Jesus tells us that God watches sparrows. After all God is everywhere and He also watches eagles, lions and even alligators (We have 1.3 million of them in Florida)! But unlike animals with talons, claws and teeth, sparrows have no offensive weapons. Instead their only hope is that in the moment of danger they will fly to safety. 

Have you ever felt like a sparrow? Apparently many of Jesus’ listeners did. They had been oppressed by Romans, exploited by their own religious leaders and despised by the rich. But when Jesus came they hung on His every word because He was someone who loved to spend time with them and who invited them to come to Him. Have you ever considered that God also loves spending time with you so much that He sent His own Son with the invitation to share eternity with Him. That is an invitation without an expiration date because the God who watches sparrows also He watches you and me.

Where is Your Hope?

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The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?        Psalm 27:1 NKJV

The drowning man was flailing in the waves just 100 yards from the beach. Two men ran up to the shoreline. The first on the scene was a business man who while passing by had heard the shouts and seeing the man going under he threw out 50 yards of line and shouted to the man, “that’s all I can afford. Swim for it!” The second man on the beach that day happened to be a politician listening to the commotion. He grandly stepped up with a smirk and threw 1000 yards of line toward the drowning man who was now going under for the second time. Then he dropped the rope and walked away shouting, “Somebody ought to grab that rope!”

Just as the man began to sink for the third time, Jesus came walking out on the waves, took the drowning man by the hand and whispered, “It is I, don’t be afraid!”

beach during daylight

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Where is your hope today? Is it in your past success? Is your hope in what others think about you or what money you have in the bank? The Bible tells us that the only thing we can hold onto when everything and everyone is failing is our faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Doctor Jesus!

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Today I was thinking of a lady at the church my father attended many years ago, who would go to the altar and pray with such intensity that I can still remember her conversation with God. “Doctor Jesus I ask you to heal today! Doctor Jesus Heal today!” I really don’t know a single other thing about Rose but her honesty at the altar stuck in my memory because she was telling God she had a problem but she was also trusting in him to take care of it.

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Like Rose on those days when I admit to God exactly how I really feel instead of pretending everything is okay I also find out that He is ready to help me to take the first step on His healing journey. My real and true acceptance that God’s grace is all I’m going to need is when I sign the release form for the heart transplant that only Doctor Jesus is able to perform!