After recently relocating to a rural part of the country, I was keen to brush up my amateur bird watching skills, and so I installed several bird feeders. I was looking forward to seeing beautiful birds, perhaps even some I’d never seen before. Would there be finches, warblers, bright colours? Would melodic songs serenade me in the morning? However, though I did see and hear a few old favourites, my feeders have been inundated by the common House Sparrow. They are drab little things that squabble incessantly and feed voraciously, and are probably discouraging other, more attractive visitors to the feeders.
I felt disappointed. Why would I want to look at sparrows all day? After all, they are one of the most common birds in the world. They are everywhere and are so plain; no one seems to love them. The Smithsonian Magazine succinctly explained this general disregard. “Being common is, if not quite a sin, a kind of vulgarity from which we would rather look away. Common species are, almost by definition, a bother, damaging and in their sheer numbers, ugly.” https://tinyurl.com/Smithsonian-Sparrows. I began searching for ways to discourage the sparrows, to make room for more desirable species.
Recently, Himself and I were discussing a pressing issue that was causing some temptation to anxiety rather than trust in our Father's provision in His good time. To encourage me, Hubby shared with me a Scripture passage that forever changed my view of sparrows.
Matt 10:29-31 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Wow. Just—mind blown. Not by the fact that these ubiquitous, unattractive birds are perfectly known and cared for by our loving Heavenly Father. Sure, I was already familiar with this passage. But what struck home this time was the realisation that these birds, because of their proliferation around the world, are everywhere a living reminder of this precious truth: God intimately holds my life in His hands. Are sparrows perhaps the most successful missionary force in all history?
I am, like sparrows, not flashy or notable, but I AM remarkable to God by virtue of my faith in His Son Jesus, and He knows and cares about every detail of my life. Ps 84:3 tells me that "The sparrow also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God." If the lowly sparrow finds refuge and a home in the temple, in the presence of God, how much more so can I? What need have I to be anxious?
These birds of the family Passeridae were familiar to the people of the ancient Middle East and mentioned in several Scripture passages. I wondered how is it that they are also commonplace wherever I have lived in more northern climes and modern times? This bird was known to the psalmists, Solomon, and Jesus Himself. The very oldest sparrow fossils come from the land of Israel. The answer to my question lies in their adaptability. From their new beginnings after the Flood, sparrows quickly learned to benefit from human settlements and have followed mankind around the globe. This ability to live wherever humans migrated means they are sure to be recognised by nearly anyone who reads the Bible. Is there a supernatural intent here?
Who can fathom the depths of God’s design within the created order? But for me now, the sparrow’s very plainness, rather than being vulgar, provides a frequent reminder of the depths of my Father’s care for even the smallest details of my life. Sparrows teach me to find my refuge, to find my home, in God. I now welcome these flocks of divine messengers, in all the beauty of their commonality.
I felt disappointed. Why would I want to look at sparrows all day? After all, they are one of the most common birds in the world. They are everywhere and are so plain; no one seems to love them. The Smithsonian Magazine succinctly explained this general disregard. “Being common is, if not quite a sin, a kind of vulgarity from which we would rather look away. Common species are, almost by definition, a bother, damaging and in their sheer numbers, ugly.” https://tinyurl.com/Smithsonian-Sparrows. I began searching for ways to discourage the sparrows, to make room for more desirable species.
Recently, Himself and I were discussing a pressing issue that was causing some temptation to anxiety rather than trust in our Father's provision in His good time. To encourage me, Hubby shared with me a Scripture passage that forever changed my view of sparrows.
Matt 10:29-31 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Wow. Just—mind blown. Not by the fact that these ubiquitous, unattractive birds are perfectly known and cared for by our loving Heavenly Father. Sure, I was already familiar with this passage. But what struck home this time was the realisation that these birds, because of their proliferation around the world, are everywhere a living reminder of this precious truth: God intimately holds my life in His hands. Are sparrows perhaps the most successful missionary force in all history?
I am, like sparrows, not flashy or notable, but I AM remarkable to God by virtue of my faith in His Son Jesus, and He knows and cares about every detail of my life. Ps 84:3 tells me that "The sparrow also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God." If the lowly sparrow finds refuge and a home in the temple, in the presence of God, how much more so can I? What need have I to be anxious?
These birds of the family Passeridae were familiar to the people of the ancient Middle East and mentioned in several Scripture passages. I wondered how is it that they are also commonplace wherever I have lived in more northern climes and modern times? This bird was known to the psalmists, Solomon, and Jesus Himself. The very oldest sparrow fossils come from the land of Israel. The answer to my question lies in their adaptability. From their new beginnings after the Flood, sparrows quickly learned to benefit from human settlements and have followed mankind around the globe. This ability to live wherever humans migrated means they are sure to be recognised by nearly anyone who reads the Bible. Is there a supernatural intent here?
Who can fathom the depths of God’s design within the created order? But for me now, the sparrow’s very plainness, rather than being vulgar, provides a frequent reminder of the depths of my Father’s care for even the smallest details of my life. Sparrows teach me to find my refuge, to find my home, in God. I now welcome these flocks of divine messengers, in all the beauty of their commonality.
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