He Watches Over You!
My prayer for you is for a blessed month of May! With winter just a memory; the world comes forth with new life. The melodious sound of chirping birds can dispel any downtrodden mood. A few weeks ago I was blessed to win a gift certificate to a local True Value Hardware store. I could not wait to peruse the store for my selection. It did not take long until I spotted a little birdbath with the inscription, “His eye is on the sparrow, I know He watches me.” Perfect! I had been seeking the Lord for discernment and this inscription helped me remember that He has it all covered.
The Life of The Sparrow
Where I live there are numerous sparrows who visit my little yard daily to look for food, splash merrily in the birdbath and sing with great delight. Especially in the early morning and early evening you can hear their melody as if singing their praise to their Creator. With such cheerful song filling the air you can be swiftly inspired no matter what may be going on around you.
Little birds are mentioned over forty times in Scripture. Sparrow is tsippor in Hebrew and strouthion in the Greek, with a root meaning of chirp or twitter. Sparrows are small and can fit in tight spaces yet soar to great heights on their little wings. They are quite social and live in flocks most of the year. By sticking together they prove intimidating to predators. Small but powerful they actually have an extra bone in their tongue to eat seeds. They are very busy, fastidious and productive. In observing them daily I am amazed at their consistency. Singing, foraging, flying, they merrily go about their day.
If Only You Take the Time
In Jesus’ time the sparrow’s worth was approximately two for one copper coin. The Roman copper coin was only worth about 1/16 of the silver denarius. If you purchased four sparrows merchants would frequently throw in a fifth for free. Sparrows were used as temple offerings by the very poor. Yet it is the sparrow that Jesus chose to let you know that your heavenly Father, aware of each little sparrow, is ever aware of you. Think about that. Considered the lowliest little bird yet the heavenly Father knows each one, whether they fly or whether they fall.
We can learn much from the sparrow. By their numbers they can put predators to flight. Life is in the power of their tongues when used according to their Maker’s design. Their corporate worship can break any oppressive spirit. They stay joyfully busy about the work assigned to them by the Creator. Perhaps Jesus used them in His parable because though small they are great in the Father’s eyes. Take some time this week to watch the little birds and let their jubilant activity lift you higher. Just as He watches the diminutive sparrow, know that He watches you!
Quotes to Ponder This Week
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” ~Jesus, Matthew 6:26
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” ~Jesus, Matthew 10:29-31
“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.” ~Jesus, Luke 12:6
“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you.” ~Jesus, John 15:16
“Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight…” ~Leviticus 26:8
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” ~Psalm 139:7
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” ~Proverbs 18:21
“Why should I feel discouraged,/Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart feel lonely/And long for Heav’n 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.
Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy,/I sing because I’m free,
His eye is on the sparrow,/And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow/And I know he watches (I know he watches)
(I know he watches me)” ~Excerpt from the Hymn, ”His Eye is on the Sparrow,” Civillia D. Martin and Charles H. Gabriel, 1905
A Prayer Request
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Please keep all who serve our country, our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our front-line on the battlefield, let us be their front-line in the spirit. Also, let us cover all who have come home wounded that they and their families will receive the kindness, help and support they need to go forward in their lives. God bless all our diplomatic and military personnel and their families. May the Lord keep them safe.
Pray for all throughout the world for hedges of protection against radical Islamic extremists and all forms of terrorism. Pray for Christians who face violence and death for their faith. We have long prayed for spiritual victory over radical Islam in Esther’s Warriors Ministry. We now see the reality of this threat come to the forefront in this time in world history. As Iranians and Islamic extremists are shouting ‘Death to America,’ let us speak life, hope and a return to God in America!
Please pray for all in authority over us, for the full truth to come forth concerning Benghazi. May God richly bless the United States of America, bring to light every single crooked place and keep her safe. The lives lost in Benghazi, the continuing targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service, Operation Fast and Furious, the Department of Justice targeting journalists phone records, the National Security Agency overstepping its legal authority are hardly “phony scandals.” We continue to pray for truth to prevail in each of these situations. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones, for those relentlessly targeted and for all of us who are proud to call ourselves American.
May we may arise united once again as One Nation Under God in this auspicious season in our country’s history. These are treacherous times and now more than ever we must maintain our walk with the Lord, saturate this country in prayer and stand for all that is right in America. Fail not in this hour.
Pray for peace in Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Please Join Me In Prayer
Father we thank You for Your faithfulness and Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for every little sparrow. Let us learn from them to work together, to worship together and to use our tongues to bring life. Teach us to honor all life as all life comes from You. Lead us to pray without ceasing for our brothers and sisters who suffer at the hands of Islamic terrorists. Open the eyes of our leaders to arise in this season to defend the very belief in You upon which our Nation is founded. Thank You for keeping Your hand on America. We humbly pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen and Amen.