“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.” Matthew 10:29 (HCSB)
In the Spring of 1605, Pastor Walter Martin and his wife Civila Martin paid a visit to their friends, the Doolittles, who had been disabled for many years. But though the Doolittle’s were weak in the flesh, their spirits soared. When Pastor Martin commented on their great hopefulness, Mrs. Doolittle replied, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” That line prompted Civila Martin to write the now well-known hymn, “His Eye Is On the Sparrow.”
But is it true? The sparrow is considered the most abundant bird in the world, numbering in the billions! In Jesus’ day, they were considered a snack, after they were skinned and roasted, much like we might pop a Tim-bit into our mouths. Does God actually know the flight of every single sparrow, and even consent to the specific time of their death?
Such a thought is staggering to the human mind! But God’s Word is 100 % true! And it tells us, “You are of more value than many sparrows.” Our sovereign God orchestrates every seemingly random event to accomplish His perfect purposes! Be convinced that there are absolutely no chance events in your life! The tears and the struggles that you have endured, the inconceivable joy that was discovered at the end of the trial, the sweetness of new life in Jesus – all are part and parcel of God’s perfect plan for you! The fact that He cares for 8 billion people on this planet does not diminish His love for any single one of us! I received a message recently, that began with these words: “Oh what a God we serve!” Human words cannot capture the full wonder of such love!
Leviticus 14 gives the cleansing ceremony for a healed leper and it involves two birds – possibly sparrows. One is put to death and its blood used for atonement, and the other is ultimately set free. This is a faint picture of the One who would shed his blood and die in our place, so that we could be set free eternally! Even the lowly sparrow falls only with the consent of the Heavenly Father – and even that falling sparrow points us to the greatest love ever manifested – the One who took the “fall” for our sins! “ Oh what a God we serve!”