The little bird...not a sparrow falls

The little bird...not a sparrow falls. Matthew 10:28-31

Patricia Ann, Originally posted on Monday, May 12, 2014

Matthew 10:29-31 " ... not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

As I was driving down the road today,  I could see in front of me and off to the right...a little bird in the air, all alone.  His wings were flapping constantly as he tried to fly against the wind. I kept watching to see how far he would get and it seemed as if he never moved.  He appeared to be going nowhere.
I wondered if he was tiring or where he would end up.
There were no trees around him, only the hard ground, so many feet below. I can see that, as God's children, we are similar to that little bird.
We face obstacles that seem to hold us back. 
We feel like we are flying against the wind.  And often, like that little bird, we look around and see we don't have anywhere to land.  There is seemingly no safe place to be, no one to help us.
It is during this time, that we allow fear to take hold of our every thought. We are paralyzed.  What can we do? Blinded by our circumstances, we just don't know what to do.
I can remember a time in my life when I was paralyzed by fear.  I felt numb and lost, afraid of what the future might bring. I could not move forward even though I wanted to. 
Many times I have been like the little bird flapping its wings; making an effort to move, but going nowhere.
As I watched the little bird, I knew its struggle was hard.  I thought of  how tired the sparrows wings must be, as he continued in his struggle.
Thankfully, as children of God, we have the chance to look up to our Father in Heaven.  Instead of focusing on the hard ground below and fearing the fall, we can be assured that our Father will reach down and catch us in the midst of our struggle. 
And, if we do fall and find ourselves at the lowest point imaginable in our lives, our Father in Heaven will scoop us up into His loving arms and carry us into His glory.
But, we have to trust in the Lord.
We have to cry out to Him in the midst of our pain.
He tells us in His word that it takes only a mustard seed size of faith to trust in Him and see results.  Just a small amount of faith can bring about a big change in our circumstances.
 
When we see no other way humanly possible, our Lord will make a path for us to succeed. - "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and

a future."'(Jeremiah 29:11)
God's word speaks of the little bird, the sparrow.  He tells us that we are more valuable than even the smallest sparrow.   
"Do not fear", he tells us. "For we are far more valuable than many sparrows."…

We are so important to our Father in Heaven.  He created us in His image. He filled us with love and compassion for mankind, for our brothers and sisters on this earth.
As we let fear, regret and shame, hatred or unforgiveness keep us from moving forward, we find ourselves limited in what we can accomplish. We struggle  with even the simplest of tasks, shutting off the glory of God in our lives.
Too often, we just seem unable to forgive ourselves for the mistakes we make. Society seeks to focus on the wrongs that we make and condemns us for not living in perfection. 
Still, living in the sin-filled world, our Father in Heaven loves us and when Jesus died on the cross, it was for the sinfulness of mankind.  It was for the past, present and future mistakes of mankind.  It was for you and for me. It was for today.
As He calls us to live righteously, walking in His path, we often fail, but His love is steadfast and true.  We are forgiven!
Therefore, as we find ourselves struggling to go forward, like the small bird flying against the wind, let us remember the One who created us. 
  
Jesus wants us to know that he has already taken care of the problem.
If we fall, He will pick us up or catch us in the midst - cradling us in His bigness, healing us and restoring us to the plans and purpose for which we are called.
He wants us to live confident in His love and move forward. 
We can stop struggling, paralyzed in the fear of what tomorrow may bring.
I praise God for showing me that little bird today and reminding me that my struggles are already taken care of. 
I pray that we all remember how valuable we are to our Father in heaven. He has a plan for our lives and is always there to help us along the way. 
Blessings to all in Jesus name. Amen

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Luke 12:6
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Matthew 10:28-31 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."
Matthew 17:20   "...for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."