HIS Eye is on the Sparrow - How Valuable are YOU?

I have a minister friend (Richard Jones) who is very gifted artistically, among his other multitude of gifts. He brought Karen and me a painting for the Sabbath Rest Lodge that has an eye of a lion with a reflection of a sparrow on his eye. Jesus is often referred to as the "Lion of the tribe of Judah."  Have you ever heard the classic song, "His eye is on the sparrow?"  May I encourage you to google or research it?

The Lyrics go like this...Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come, Why should my heart feel lonely, And long for heaven and home When Jesus is my portion, A constant friend is He, His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches over 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, His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches me.

In a day of WORRY on steroids (can you say 24/ 7 news cycle, COVID, dysfunction in families, communities, politics, government and world) we find it a challenge to maintain our perspective.  HIS eye is on you, and me.  Perhaps, if you're like me, you have to REMIND yourself of your importance to HIM.

The MEANING behind the song, "His Eye is on the Sparrow"?  It's inspired by the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them."  Karen has bird feeders in our front yard.  Watching the birds is enjoyable and also a time for RECALIBRATION, when our thoughts are humming with anxiety concerning the "what ifs" of life that include health, family, finances, etc.  

Jesus reminds us of the VALUE of a sparrow (birds).  "What is the price of two sparrows - one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; YOU are MORE VALUABLE to God than a whole flock of sparrows." (Matthew 10: 28-31) Wow, if He knows when a sparrow falls and the number of hairs on our head, how important are we?

You Are Valuable Because You Are Made in the Image of God, According to HIS Likeness (Genesis 1:26).

QUESTION - What's your biggest worry, or greatest anxiety?  It could be any number of things.  Mine may be different than yours, but we're all challenged.  

What Worries You... Masters You  - John Locke

THREE PRINCIPLES that can help us in dealing with the sometimes treadmill of worry and anxiety.

First - CHOOSE to PRAY, rather than worry. Prayer changes us and circumstances.  Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives us something to do, but it doesn't take us anywhere.  Paul told us to be anxious for nothing, but to pray about everything and even on what thoughts to dwell on (Philippians 4: 4- 8). If it's big enough to cause worry, it's certainly big enough to pray about.
 
Second - Make the Lord your REFUGE.  A refuge is a condition or a place of being safe from pursuit.  When a strong storm or tornado comes, we seek a refuge. When Karen and I were riding our motorcycle and it began to rain hard, we often found a refuge under a bridge on the interstate, under a large tree along the side the road, or the awning of a gas station. WHO or WHAT is your refuge in times of need?  Most of the storms we encounter are not physical, but spiritual and emotional.  Some seek refuge in food, drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, sports, etc.  May I encourage you to make HIM your refuge. Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Third - Remember that GOD is in CONTROL.  We're stewards or managers, but He's the owner.  We can pray.  We can follow the wisdom we learned on the journey of life. We can communicate with family, friends and neighbors via the phone, or social media.  We can find ways to serve others. We can do what we can (stewardship or management), but HE's in control.  

The story is told of an ambassador traveling on behalf of his government who had a very important meeting with the President of another country.  He didn't sleep well and his wife asked him the next morning why he was so stressed. He told her of the important meeting and how it would impact his career and his country.  She replied by asking two questions.  "Before you were born, was God in control of this world?  After you die, will God be in control?"  "Yes," he answered.  "Then let him handle today also", she said.  HE was, is and will be in control.

HIS eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches me, I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free, His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches me.