By  Sarah Damm

 

 

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
And even the hairs of your head are all counted.
So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” ~Matthew 10:29-30

 

Jesus tells me to notice the sparrows because He wants to emphasize how much my Heavenly Father loves me.

If He is aware of a sparrow falling to the ground, how much more is He aware of me?

The Lord is so aware of me that He knows the number of hairs on my head. That is quite an intimate awareness! That is knowing someone exceptionally well.

Take Jesus at His Word

And if this is the case, which it is because He says so, why am I so hesitant to take Him at His Word? Why don’t I trust in His intimate care for me?

Why is His Word drowned out by the lies of the enemy, who tells me I am unlovable, unwanted, unworthy?

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells us to “not be afraid.” Over and over again, He says, “Fear not.”

In today’s Gospel, He does the same. He tells us three times not to be afraid.

With one exception.

Be Afraid of the Devil

He tells us to be afraid of “the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” (v. 28)

And that, my friends, is the devil. He is to be feared because he is out to destroy and wants us with him in Hell.

Draw Close and Trust the Lord

But as much as we need to put distance between us and Satan, we need to draw closer to Christ even more. As much as we need to ignore and reject the lies of the enemy, we must listen to and embrace everything that Jesus tells us.

So, when He tells us to look at the sparrows, we must truly believe in His love for us. When He tells us to “fear not,” we must choose to trust Him. When He tells us something in the darkness, we need to proclaim it in the light. (v. 27)

We cannot allow these Gospel truths to be drowned out. These realities of His great love must penetrate us to the core of our souls, where Christ resides within us.

So that when we appear before Him on Judgement Day, He will acknowledge us before His Heavenly Father because we believed in Him and His Word and acknowledged Him before others. (v. 32)

 

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for speaking truth, beauty, and goodness into my heart. May I always listen to Your Word and share it with others. Amen.

Call to Action

 What lies do you believe about yourself? Spend some time in prayer today renouncing them in the powerful name of Jesus.

 

 

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