

Psalm 84:1-4 - How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise! Selah
Sparrows are small, seemingly of little worth, yet they have much to teach us about the God who created them, the God who created and redeemed us. In biblical times the little birds were sold two for a penny, a bargain in any century, but not even one sparrow falls to the ground without the Creator's knowledge. Still today our Creator knows when a sparrow falls and Jesus tells us, "Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:31). Our purchase price was much higher than the two-for-a-penny price of sparrows. We were ransomed with the precious blood of God's own Son. Through His careful attention to sparrows, we learn that our Heavenly Father knows us and, in His grace, He values us.
Sparrows, or birds of any kind, have more to teach us about our Heavenly Father and about our life in Christ. When we are frightened or anxious, Jesus directs our attention to the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. Not even the wealthy King Solomon was so richly and brightly dressed as the lilies. Birds do not plant or harvest or store grain in barns, yet our Heavenly Father feeds them. The Creator who provides for the birds, including sparrows, cares for us, too. As the apostle Paul writes, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) Through His care for the birds of the air, we learn that our Heavenly Father knows our needs and provides for us.
We are not quite finished with the lessons taught by these little winged creatures. Sparrows and swallows sometimes found their way into Israel's tent of meeting, or in later centuries, into the temple. Very likely they could not find their way out, or perhaps they did not want to escape. The little sparrows were content to remain: "Even the sparrow finds a home ... at Your altars, O LORD of hosts." Our Heavenly Father created and redeemed us and He values each one of us. He provides for our needs. He welcomes us into His place of worship and He wants us to be at home there, as content as a sparrow on its nest. Valued, cared for, and welcomed, we enter God's house and join the little sparrows in singing praise to our God and Creator!
WE PRAY: My God and Creator, fill me with the joy and peace that the sparrows know in Your care. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
1. Birds sometimes build their nests in odd locations. Have you ever found one in a place that surprised you? Where was it?
2. The Bible tells us that the Heavenly Father knows when a single sparrow falls to the ground. What does that say to you to whom He has given His own Son?
3. God's care for us is awesome. When was the last time you related that to someone else?
Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 25-26 Matthew 18:1-20
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