Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. . . So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matt. 10:29, 31 (NIV)
As I stepped out the front door to check the mailbox, I glanced down and saw a bird lying on the concrete between the door and the wide and tall floor-up window. Just to make sure, I gently nudged the bird with my foot – no response. He was definitely dead, immobile, and with claws curled inward.
“Poor thing,” I thought, “it flew into the window, not realizing there was a barrier there.”
Aren’t we sometimes like that bird, intent on hurrying along our way, but unmindful of
potential dangers? We may not have submitted our path to the Lord in the first place or asked for clearly
open doors. In addition to failing to ask God’s direction, another mistake we make is not considering consequences. Then, like the bird, we assume all is well and take off on our flight, only to crash into unseen and unexpected barriers.
The bird, however, spoke not only a warning, but was also a lesson in God’s great love. As I looked down at this fallen bird, I was reminded that God was also aware of its demise and that His love for us far exceeds his love for His many creatures. Not only is God so intimately knowledgeable about us as to know the number of hairs on our heads, but He designed us to be like Him and have fellowship with Him. It remains for us to simply respond to Him in loving obedience, worship and serve Him and enjoy Him all our days.
Mary Barham
