Friday, April 24, 2015

Why the Sparrow?



I’ve been bird watching lately.  Well, more like sparrow watching.  From my kitchen window I can check out sparrows feeding at the bird feeder that I have hanging in my yard.  My husband teases me that I have a flock of sparrows out there sometimes!  Some people are bothered by sparrows. They see them as pests, driving away the other prettier birds.  But I enjoy watching them act up by the feeder, flitting and flying about.

Sparrows are not the most attractive birds.  Their feathers do not stand out.  They are kind of boring with their plain, neutral colored feathers.  The Hebrew word for sparrow means a small bird and they certainly are not majestic in size or even the song they sing.  They are very common.  So common, in fact, they are largely overlooked by humans.

Every time I see them outside my window though, I am always reminded of the Bible verse, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father. 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 (NIV).  How comforting that verse is to me.  Sparrows, so plentiful in nature, so common they go unnoticed by most people are important to the Father.  He knows each sparrow, and trust me, there are a lot of sparrows around. As for me, well, to Him, I am even more valuable than the sparrows.  So important, in fact, that the Lord knows EVERY hair on my head!  My husband, my mother, even my stylist can’t make that claim!

As I watched the sparrows flick seeds out of my bird feeder to their buddies on the ground, I started wonder, why sparrows? Why did Jesus specify them in Matt. 10:29 and not a blue jay or woodpecker? There had to have been a reason.  So I decided to do a little research the sparrow.  (Ok, I confess, it was more of a Google search, lol!)  I felt like there was something to be learned from them.  

I found out that sparrows are wise. They are mentioned in Psalm 84:3, “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God.” (NIV) From this verse we know that sparrows were not driven away from the nests they built in the Temple.  What smart birds! I don’t know about you but I want to make my home in the Lord’s dwelling place. I can think of no better place to raise a family!

I discovered that sparrows have powerful beaks as well.  From chirping to breaking open seeds, their beak contains power.  How true that is for us humans too.  We have power in our mouths, our tongues, the words we speak.  Our mouths have power to sing a song of worship or break open a heart.

Then my search came across the lyrics to a beautiful old hymn, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”.  These words stuck out to me…


“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me

It is so easy to allow the troubles and stresses in our lives to overwhelm us.  But when we remember His awesomeness, His faithfulness, His promises to give us a hope and a future; we can rest in how good our God is! Even when we can’t see but more than one step in front of us, He is with us.  He is leading us with His rod and staff just as a Good Shepherd should.  

In all of that, we can rejoice and be at peace.  We can sing because Jesus has set us free!  We are free from worry, free from striving, free to be all He has created us to be!  His eye is on the sparrow, yes.  But even more precious than that is that His eye is on me too.  He is smiling over me, delighting in me!

The next time you glance outside and see a sparrow, think of these words and remember the lessons of the sparrow – His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me!

Post by: Marcy Gates







Friday, April 10, 2015

For When You Feel Like Peter



“Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him. “Before the rooster crows twice you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.” Mark 14:71-72 (NKJV)

Peter had just denied Jesus three times. In earlier passages, Jesus warns him. He prophecies that Peter in fact will deny him. Peter argues, “I would never! I love you.” In Luke, it tells us that after this final denial, Jesus looks at Peter and then Peter remembers. Peter remembers the words that Jesus foretold. And he knows in that moment the gravity of what just happened.

I love that little detail that Jesus looks at Peter before he remembers what Jesus said. And the very human part of me wants to believe that Jesus is scolding Peter. Imagine it. Peter charges with the last denial, his words still spilling out of his mouth, before he can finish a rooster crows in the distance and Jesus locks eyes with Peter. One might read into this as Jesus saying, “See, Peter. I told you so.” But knowing what I know about Jesus that is not at all what his eyes were saying. I believe that Jesus is saying to Peter, “I still love you. Even in this moment when the gravity is weighing you down, I love you. I loved you before, I love you right now and I will still love you tomorrow.” I am hard pressed to believe that there is anything other than compassion in the eyes of my Savior, Jesus.

But still Peter could not bear what had happened and so he wept, bitterly.

Ultimately Peter had forgotten. Don’t we all wear that badge sometimes... Forgetful.

Let me set the stage. Day one unfolds as the darkest of dark days. Jesus is crucified and buried in a tomb. There is silence. Day two, still nothing.  His followers are getting restless, losing heart even. But the third day comes, this grace day.  The brightest of bright days. And look, let’s see what happens…

“But go, tell his disciples-and Peter-that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16:7 (NKJV)

Do you see it? “Go! Tell everyone! And don’t forget Peter! Tell Peter.” It is such a small detail you might miss it. I did. Until someone else recognized it and pointed it out. Peter forgot. He felt the weight of the world. He felt shame, guilt and despair. But Jesus doesn't let him off the hook. Jesus remembers him. Jesus sees him.

I realized... I often feel a lot like Peter, unforgivable. Like I have to earn my keep, like I have to work my whole life to make up for what I’ve done. All the little mistakes, all the big blows, every single thing I see as wrong, I live my life to make up for. As if toeing the line, dotting all my i’s and crossing all my t’s, making all the right moves could ever make up for all the sin in my life.  

I’m positive we all have Peter moments in our life. When we feel like we have just messed up so badly that we have to earn our way back. But I am convinced, without a doubt, this is not the way Jesus wants us to live. Of course he wants us to turn from our sin, but he didn’t hang on that cross for us to work so hard. He didn’t go through the agony, pain and suffering so that we would have to make up for it. That was never the plan.

Jesus gives us so much in that one monumental act. More than we deserve of course, but that is the beauty in it. He freely gives grace, forgiveness, mercy and love. Even in our mess, he locks eyes with us and says “I still love you.” We must only accept it. We don’t have to turn from Him when we are going through something. Jesus is not afraid of our confusion, our anger, our questions or our doubts. He gives us one last look and says, “I am going to love you through this.”

Forgiveness is sweet, my sisters. Taste and see. Don’t turn from Him, turn to Him. When your inner Peter rises up to say, “I am not good enough. I must earn my way.” Remember what Jesus did. He did not forget Peter. He made specific mention of his name as to signify his love and forgiveness of Peter’s crucial act. He does the same for us! He calls each one of us by name and his love for us is indescribable!

Post by: Jimmie Lee