"HARDSHIP - HURT - AND HOPE” - Jesus Understands Suffering and Fear

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( 14 minutes long)

 By Mary Lindow

SUFFERING AND SORROW ARE A PART OF LIFE

Knowing this, however, doesn’t make it any easier to cope when you find yourself in the midst of the deepest, darkest trials of faith, and mentally anguish and strain.

Don’t you wish Christianity could make you exempt from suffering? That would be great, but as most of us have learned, following our faith doesn’t give us a free ride.

We catch as much trouble as unbelievers—often more.

The difference, of course, is that we can turn to Jesus when things go wrong. Unbelievers might argue that we’re only turning to our imagination, but we know better.

At some time in your life, however, suffering will hit you so hard that you won’t be able to do any of those things, and that dark time will probably visit you more than once.

“Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright,

for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.”

Psalm 112:4

 

WE ALL WANT THINGS WE DON’T GET.

Maybe it’s a person you’re sure would make a perfect spouse, and the relationship crumbles apart. Maybe it’s a better job or promotion, and you don’t make the cut. Or it might be a goal you poured your time and energy into, and it doesn’t come to pass or others sabotage it all.
All of us have prayed for the recovery of loved ones who were ill, but they died anyway.

It takes real spiritual maturity to stay faithful when things go wrong, but severing our relationship with God punishes us, not him. It’s self-destructive behavior that can put us on the path to a miserable life. The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) teaches us that God always wants us to come back to him.

Whether your problem is discouragement, illness or aging, sometimes all you have left is Jesus.

When you’re angry and bitter, you can still cling to Jesus in the midst of your tears. You can grab onto him and refuse to let go until he brings you through it. You’ll find, to your surprise that he holds on to you even tighter than you hold on to him.

 

JESUS UNDERSTANDS SORROW

He knows about being hurt. He remembers the terrible moment on the cross when his Father was forced to abandon him, because he was filthy from taking on our sins. Jesus won’t let you go.’

And as you age and start down the path from this life to the next, Jesus will take your hand to guide you. He appreciates all that you have done for him through the years, but what he has always wanted most is your love.

So there you are in the middle of one of life’s train-wrecks-dazed, wounded, wondering what shoe-or bomb-will be dropping next, and up walks Job’s comforters.

We all remember Job from the Bible. A rich, powerful man, a great father and good in every way was Job.

Then, in a series of overlapping upheavals, he lost everything and everybody except his wife-who turned out to be a whole lot less than sympathetic in her changed status.

Battered Job ends up sitting alone on a pile of dirt, scratching his boil-covered body with some broken pottery.

 

WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH POOR JOB.

Life drags us through some tough times of loss that make us feel every bit like Job. Caught in a vortex of pain, and wondering if we’ll ever make it to safety.

And, boy, do we recognize Job’s so-called friends who showed up to by all accounts offer support and comfort. As they sat with Job in his misery, they took turns playing a self-centered, self-righteous, can-you-top-this game of knowing for certain that every bit of Job ‘s disaster had to be his own fault or a lack of trust in God. They weren’t sure how or why because Job seemed so decent, but deep down, they insisted, he just couldn’t be all he pretended to be.

 

THIS IS FAMILIAR TERRITORY

You get fired, and friends smirk knowingly when you try to explain the political nature of the event. Your child gets into difficulty-well; you know the kind of comfort you’ll get from friends about that. (It probably started sometime during potty training.)

Yet others try to “help” you with what I call “prayer lecturing.” While praying “for and with you” they let you (and God) know just how lucky you should be to even have running water, had a meal that day and more! Not really comforting in any way, and very very short on compassion.

Yet, from the story, it’s clear that Job was completely innocent. Dreadful things do happen to completely innocent people, good people.
Because of their opinion of Job’s guilt, history has bestowed his friends- (and their current replicas) – the label, “Job’s comforters.”
So-called friends who add to a suffering person’s anguish by piling on false charges of blame and guilt and harsh reprimand for daring to show sadness or agony.

You may never have met anybody like Job, but you’ve met his comforters on more than one occasion. They seem to be everywhere.

 

WE CAN CHARGE SOME OF IT OFF TO JEALOUSY

Job had everything a person could dream of wanting-and then some-so jealousy was never more than a stone’s throw away. The green-eyed monster is a little more subtle with people living everyday, typical lives, but jealousy doesn’t need much ground to take root and grow with vigor.

 

WE DON’T WANT TO ADMIT BAD THINGS MAY HAPPEN TO US!

If bad things happen to people who don’t deserve them, they could happen to anybody, including me. If I don’t want bad things to happen to me, (who does?), I have to persuade myself and everybody around me that the victim’s actions caused the problem. If blame can be assigned, then I’ll be safe as long as I’m good.

In other words, if I can claim that the cause of your problem is something you do that I don’t do, then what happened to you can’t happen to me. There is, of course, n
o logic to this, but it brings some shaky comfort to frightened hearts.
We see this thinking at work when people stare numbly at adversity and ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” Sometimes the answer is, “nothing.”

 

HAVE YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF "WHY ME?"

And it doesn’t have to be bad; you could be excited from something wonderful. Most often then not I ask myself this after something I am looking forward to goes wrong.

Even at times when something goes wrong I lay awake at night and my thoughts wonder to what previously occurred. I am sure everyone does it at times, wishing for another try or chance.

You may lay awake thinking about your suffering, part of life’s suffering is misery’s shadow persisting/hanging on; not only do you suffer but you have to think about suffering.

I can’t prove this with statistics or find it any book I know of, yet I would say that more people either come to the faith or fall away because of this reason above all; the disturbance of suffering.

YOU SEE GOD USES TIMES OF SUFFERING…

...TO TEACH AND GROW US.

If you allow yourself to recount your sufferings, did you not learn more about faith while suffering then any other time?
 It has been said that; “Blessings are God’s whispers, he speaks in our conscience, but shouts to us in our suffering.”

“O my Comforter in sorrow, My heart is faint within me.”-Jeremiah 8:18

Suffering becomes the only way to realize our hollow spiritual self. Pain is unmasked, and every person knows when something is not right when they are hurting. Pain insists upon being attended to.

So when you travel down this line of thought you come to the idea, why do I or someone else suffer when others don’t?

 

I KNOW SUFFERING IS EXHAUSTING AND PAIN HURTS

That is why it is called pain and suffering. If there were an escape a person of great wisdom and insight would have done it already. Yet Discipleship demands such trials to compel us towards renewal. Read Hebrews 2:10

“God, for whom and through whom everything was made,

chose to bring many children into glory.

And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering,

a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.”

The real question is what to do when life has just punched us a good one, and Job’s comforters show up at our door. Nobody says we have to let them in. And certainly nobody says we have to entertain them. And, most positively, nobody says we have to believe them.

“For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives,

So also through Christ our comfort overflows.”
2 Corinthians 1:5

We can sort out the who’s-to-blame-for-what after we get some solid ground under our feet and a little energy back into our lives.

But we still won’t want Job’s comforters anywhere around us…

...We will want people who care.

"Compassion"

To me not to be kind
 is evil of the mind.

No need to pray or preach,

Let us our children teach
 with every fond caress,

Pity and gentleness:

So in the end may we 
God’s Kingdom cause to be.

Author  of Poem- R.W. Service

 

Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed provided that complete article, podcast link and website information for Mary Lindow is included. 

www.marylindow.com

www.marylindow.podbean.com

Thank You!

Copyright © "2026" 

"The Advocate of Hope"

Your Gracious Support and Donations Are So Very Helpful And Assist Mary In Publishing Her Teaching Podcasts and Blog Materials.

THANK YOU!

Please go to PAYPAL to donate 

or support this ministry; 

Donate to the tax deductible ministry name of: 

paypal.me/mlindow    (His Beloved Ministries Inc.) 

or 

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Eastlake CO 80614 

United States

 

 

"Measuring The Honesty Of Our Own Hearts" Self Examination - Spiritual Growth - Emotional Blind Spots - Going Against the Flow

 

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By Mary Lindow 

I am by far not an expert on the subject of plumblines and righteousness, so take what I say in the light of one who at time gropes like a child in the dark, ever reaching for the hand of the ONE to lead me into a safe place filled with His Hope, His Mercy, His Light and Life.

WE LIVE IN A CORRUPT WORLD and therefore, have the “effects and affects” of that corruption ever influencing, ever tainting and ever wooing the flesh. 

Plumbline: a tool that consists of a small, heavy object attached to a string or rope and that is used especially to see if something (such as a wall) is perfectly vertical or in alignment)  

A plumbline is a simple but accurate tool used for determining whether or not something is perfectly vertical or upright. 

The Lord also used, and uses, a "plumbline," His Word, to determine how upright His people truly are in His sight. How upright they think they are, or how upright they proclaim themselves to be, means nothing to God.

"Behold, I WILL set a plumbline in the midst of My people". 
-Amos 7:7 

A PLUMBLINE SET OUT BY THE HAND OF GOD IS ONE THAT WE CAN ANCHOR OUR HEARTS TO.
It will always, always, ALWAYS, direct us to the truth in a matter; even if it requires pain, loss, persecution and perhaps death in areas we feel we may well have rights to. 
It will also be a shield, a balm, a comfort and a teacher to those who will yield to the directive positioning of the Master. 

“I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumbline.”

 -Isaiah 28:17 

LIFE – DISTRESS - AND PERSECUTION 
I have found that in my life, distress and persecution do not feel like God’s care being poured out on me. My heart is not immediately drawn to thanksgiving and gratefulness for the faithfulness of God on display as I cling to the battered pieces that look like potential “rafts” of hope, only to find out that many of them have gaping holes or slow leaks in them. 

Rather, it feels like yet another hurt is being permanently woven into my tattered and war-torn soul. It seems as if another mound of questions are piling up and just waiting for an answer and a true solid REAL anchor of hope. 

I CAN REALLY CONNECT TO THE WRITER OF PSALM 42 
He said “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” It’s at those very times that the words of the Savior are so important. When we are down and in turmoil. 

But, how do we connect the dots between what we know is true about God’s faithfulness and what our hearts feel? When flipped and flung around by the waves, weary from crying and when no answer seems at hand, what is the answer? 

When my circumstances show many foes and tyrants rising up against me and my heart is prone to wander and fear, what hope is there of peace? 

When my feelings start controlling my thoughts, how can I rest in God’s promises? 

AT THIS POINT… I HEAR THE “GASPS” … 
…And perhaps shocked comments of a few who are amazed that someone who appears to walk so fervently and intimately with the Lord would have such difficulties! 

Well! Guess what?
I do struggle, I do hurt, and yes I do doubt when I have been side swiped or “rammed” by skilled cons and those who, although may have the appearance of godliness and offered friendship or fellowship, end up having private and evil agendas behind their well placed and planned schemes.

And boy oh boy! Those skilled players know the wicked art of wounding the heart and causing people to reel in pain! 

BUT, THERE IS ONE WHO FULLY SEES IT ALL 
The main skill in the issue of dealing with life as a spiritual person, is to know how to handle yourself when things not only crush and grind your heart, but what to do with the anguish and toll of their aftermath. 

✅ We have to get ourselves into a place where we hear clearly again. 

✅ We need have to address ourselves, preach to ourselves, and ask questions about ourselves. 
✅ We must say to our soul: 

"Why are you cast down –Why are you so anxious and lacking in peace?" 
✅  We must urge ourselves, and say ‘Hope in God’–instead of remaining in this paralyzed, aching state!” 

AND THEN WE MUST TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER
We must go on to remind ourselves just “Who “God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has promised that he Himself said that He would do. 

Having done that we can stand up and sing out strongly, defying the torment of the soul, and resist other people’s wicked tongues and arrogance, and refuse to go along with the devil and the whole world, and say: ‘Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” 

The hope and promise of the fairness of God’s justice when dealing with the hurtful things and presumptions of others gives me the confidence to know that God will never turn away from me in my need. No matter how they seem to prosper in the short term, wicked men and women will ultimately pay for their sins, in this life or the next. Jesus died to meet my greatest hardships and sorrows for me, and I need to preach this to myself every day.
His power is greater than my weariness and suffering. 

The comforting and instruction that comes from simply running to feed upon His word instead of the toxic poison of the replaying of trauma reminds me that what Jesus has done is strong enough for my soul to rejoice in and to be set into a place where it can rest and regroup, gaining a healthy perspective about what to give out to others and what is simply…
…. To be enjoyed by the Lord Himself. 

THE NATURAL IMPULSES OF MANKIND ARE SINFUL AND DECEITFUL! 
Human willpower alone will never be able to change this. 
We need God's help to truly change our hearts. 

REMEMBER. You cannot change the heart of anyone else either. 
If you try to, you will feel the bite of stinging venom or be laughed out of a room. Only the power of the conviction of the Holy Spirit can permeate and get around the jam-packed hardhearted egos of the self sufficient and bitter. 
Jeremiah 17:9 says that the human heart is deceitful in all things and is even beyond cure!

We must be cautious and wise in reproving and warning such types of people about their bad behaviors and wicked actions where there seems to be no appearance or hope of change and where there is danger of experiencing great and heart wrecking retaliation and slander. 

These types trample the warnings and urging for repentance and humbling of the heart under their feet, and turn again and slash at you, despising the warnings that are “tearfully and fearfully” given, and often hurt the persons who give them, either by words or deeds. 

"Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. 
Don't throw your pearls to pigs! 
They will trample the pearls, 
then turn and attack you.” 
-Matthew 7:6 

 

"GIVE ME THE FACTS MA’AM JUST THE FACTS” 
I remember that phrase from a TV show called “Dragnet”. 

The detective would not allow the details of the case to be skewed by any assumptions or pontificating from those he interviewed. He stoically and firmly demanded only the facts. 

And so, here are the “facts” about the heart of a good man or woman.

1.) The good man or woman: Brings good things out of the good stored up in his/her heart. 

And the facts about an evil man or woman. 

2.) The evil man/woman brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his/her heart. For out of the overflow of his or her heart his or her mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 

 

THE FRAILTY, BRIEFNESS, AND INSECURITY OF LIFE 
The frailty, briefness, and insecurity of life should hold down the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all of our projects and boasting about future greatness and bragging rights! We are always to depend on the will and leading of God. 

OUR TIMES ARE NOT IN OUR OWN HANDS, BUT ARE INSTEAD IN THE TIMING OF GOD. Our heads may be filled with cares and plans for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Divine intervention often throws our plans into bewilderment. All we have in mind, and all we do, should be with a humble and deep dependence on God.

It is foolish, and it is hurtful, to boast of trendy “latest happening” things and prospective projects, and it will bring great disappointment and will prove destructive to relationships and meaningful help to others in the end. 

“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, 

a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. 

These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” 
-1 John 2:16

LISTEN KINDLY - BEFORE SPEAKING YOUR THOUGHTS 
People don't need a lecture on the meaning of suffering or to have a barrage of scriptures “machine-gunned” at them as a reprimand for sharing their moment of grief or struggle! (Especially when their hearts are breaking, weary of the battle and if they are fatigued.)

Job could have done without some of the self-righteous answers that came from his “well-meaning” friends. All of the answers could have even been true, but Job didn't need to hear any of them. 
He needed their love, not their value judgments. 

In fact, it appears as if God judged THEM for trying to offer simple solutions to things that were beyond their comprehension. 

They had never walked in the loss he was in anguish over. 

WHEN WE SUFFER UNJUSTLY WE HAVE A MAJOR CHOICE TO MAKE
How will we respond? 

We can feel sorry for ourselves (and understandably so, for a while), become bitter and cynical, get drawn into a war of words, or even become mixed up in a major conflict.

On the other hand, we can take our suffering to the cross and allow our pain to draw us into a deeper place of understanding of what Jesus went though in his sufferings. This does not remove the pain, but does help us to know what to do with our hurt. 

This is the 'fellowship of his sufferings' (Philippians 3:10), one of the gateways to closeness with God and the release of his power in our lives. The weight of heartbreak shared with a loving friend cuts it in half. 

When the burden is shared with many friends, we can cope with almost anything.

We never feel more revitalized than when a friend loves us enough to walk with us in our pain. Not lecture us. 

The apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth: 
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, 

so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we 

ourselves have received from God". -1 Corinthians 1.3-4 

SOMETIMES GOD GETS INVOLVED WITH DIRECT MIRACLES, 

Giving supernatural strength to those in need. 

But for the most part, he depends on us, his people, to do his work in the world. We love each other, work for healing, and suffer with those who suffer. 

The next time you see a friend who is suffering, Jesus may just invite you to be the warm embrace! We comfort each other with the comfort we have received in Christ. And when we do, we become the Body of Christ and he receives the glory! 

THE BIBLE IS CLEAR! 
We are to bear one another's burdens. 
We are to comfort others as Christ has given comfort to us. 
Your hard time becomes my hard time. 

We join hands in the journey. 
When you succeed, I succeed. 
When you suffer, I suffer. But we do it together. We share it together. 

And we do it, not so much in our wisdom or our words, but in our availability, our understanding, and through our presence. 

THAT'S WHAT FELLOWSHIP IS ALL ABOUT! 
But not “bland” fellowship.
It is CHRISTIAN fellowship. It is the business of burden bearing.
Authentic CHRISTIAN fellowship says that when you need me . . . I'll be there.

Support in suffering is at the core 

of what it means to share life together in Christ. 

The word for "comfort” is the same root word as the name Jesus used to describe one of the functions of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Paraclete). “I will be a comforter, one who comes alongside to give help.” And so as God comes alongside you, now you are able to come alongside another. As the Comforter is at work within you, so you also can be of comfort to those around you. 

WE ARE CALLED TO BEAR ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS. 

To mourn with those who mourn.
To be a follower of Jesus means to come alongside people who are hurting and find ways to help them walk even through the valley of the shadow of death. We are called to do this, as the word of God and care of God is shared with the intention of stirring, plowing up hardened hearts, creating a place for repentance and challenging saints to hope again, I know and believe that as we learn again as believers, to care, to truly listen and to hope fully again, that the sweet and heavy weight of HIS Glory will be made known and will manifest in unfettered and uncontrolled waves of worship and spontaneous adoration of the King of Heaven. 

HE REALLY DOES KNOW WHAT HE WANTS
Let's focus on bowing low and seeking His heart and plans in what matters to Him.
Indeed, HE is the Plumbline. 

Prayer 
God, I ask in Jesus' name, that you comfort, strengthen and encourage all who are hurting deeply right now and are going through so much pain and heartache. 

Don't allow them to give up in the heat of the battle. 

Let them feel your arms wrapping around them and your love overflowing and filling them up. Lord, I will pray often and I know that you will hear my voice, even when I speak to You in my silent thoughts. 

To You, I am crying out and my prayers are now before You. 
Father, I give to You my problems, I do not want them. 

Father, please restore them to You. I know that you have compassion for your children. Father, show them your ways and teach them your paths. Lead them in your truth and teach them you are the God of our salvation and on you we will wait. 

Protect them from the evils of this life and guide them through all of their days. Father, thank You for hearing my prayer Father and for considering and for having compassion on all who hear and read these words, and all who hurt, in this troubled world we live in. 

Keep them in the center of Your love. 

In Jesus’ Name

~ Amen 

Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed 

provided that complete article, podcast link and website information 

for Mary Lindow is included. 

Thank You Copyright © 2026  - " THE ADVOCATE OF HOPE"

~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com

PODCAST

Your Gracious Support and Donations Are So Very Helpful 

And Assist Mary In Publishing Her Teaching Podcasts 

and Audio Messages.

THANK YOU!

Please go to PAYPAL to donate 

or support this blog: 

Donate to the tax-deductible ministry name of: 

paypal.me/mlindow    (His Beloved Ministries Inc.) 

Or 

You Can Mail a Check or Cashiers Check to: 

His Beloved Ministries INC 

PO Box 1253 

Eastlake CO 80614 

United States

 

 

"You Are Seen - You Are Of Great Value - You Are His."

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To Listen To This Podcast in Audio Form

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(Approximately 17 minutes in length)

I welcome you all to this podcast and it’s going to be a very tender and special podcast. 

Especially during this time right now where the world is in upheaval and so many things are going on in the church, 

with so many further exposures of deviant acts, monetary gambling as it were, and just inappropriate and criminal activity, 

and then it being covered up. 

It can be a lot to have to just navigate…

… and of course to process. 

We’re going to look at something more precious and tender, which is the fact that the Lord “Sees us”. 

He wants you to know he sees YOU individually as his unique and beautiful creation.

 

So! I want to bring up the subject, 

“What Is A Sparrow?”

The scripture talks about that the Heavenly Father even cares about the sparrows even though they’re really pretty common and a little non-descriptive. 

They’re not bright little birds. They’re just kind of dull in color, kind of a dove gray.

But you know what?

THE SPARROW IS A CLEVER LITTLE BIRD

In Psalm 84 David describes his longing to be with the people of God and in the actual moment that he wrote this, he was a wanderer. 

He was a fugitive.

He was not able to be in a place where he could have fellowship with God or other people, and this is when he wrote Psalm 84.

It says,

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!

2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; 

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Have you ever felt this way or longed for fellowship like David wrote about with the Lord? 

His word so clearly expresses what it meant to David.

Then, he remembered one of his bird watching experiences. 

He remembered how at one time when he was in the house of God, 

he looked up toward the altar and he noticed some movement. 

When he looked closer, he found a sparrow building her nest, 

so he wrote in verse 3:

“Even the sparrow has found a home,

And the swallow a nest for herself,

Where she may have her young—a place near your altar.”

 

“Lord Almighty, my King and my God!” he said. 

“I wish I could be like that sparrow.

I wish I could be like that swallow that is able to build its nest at the very altar of God.”

 

What David is saying here is, “Can you think of anything better than to have your home in the altar of God in the sanctuary?”

This is something so very precious to me because I am always so tremendously interested in nurturing and loving my family and my grandchildren, that I cannot pass this over.

Did you notice this swallow chose the altar of God to build a nest for her family?  She could have chosen any place to build a nest, but she chose the altar of God.

Yes! The sparrow is a clever bird.

 

BUILDING YOUR NEST IN THE SANCTUARY OF GOD

I believe that things are put here for a reason and for instruction, so I am going to suggest 

that if you want your family to be all that God wants it to be, build your nest, (metaphorically speaking), at the altar. 

Build your nest in the sanctuary because in the sanctuary, is the answer to every question that you have. 

And I hope that you understand that I am not talking about a church building! 

I am talking about your fellowship with God. 

There must also, always be room in your nest to include those with broken wings, 

or who have been abandoned or left as orphans.

 

A SPARROW IS VALUABLE!

One more lovely thing about the sparrow. 

The sparrow is a valuable bird. 

I am sure that some people might question this statement! But it is a valuable bird, indeed. 

Some may say, “But not to man”!  It is Valuable to God though!

 

I am sure the Lord did some bird watching as he travelled to places with his dear friends, 

but this particular instance that He records is in the temple.

As He went into the temple one day, He saw a whole bunch of sparrows, 

(remember that we are talking about a small bird) with their legs tied together, 

and they were being sold for a sacrifice in the temple.

In Matthew, chapter 10 notice what Jesus has to say about sparrows.

As He looked at those sparrows, He said, in verse 29:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?” 

 

That was the least expensive offering that anybody could make!

If we were to stop there, we would say what we ordinarily say, 

“What is a sparrow? They are not worth anything at all,” 

but the Lord said, in the last part of verse 29:

…And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father knowing about it.

 That is how valuable they are. 

Not one sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing about it.

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU SEE A DEAD SPARROW? 

Do you just kick it out of the way and go on?  

Often we see someone much like the little dead sparrow, wounded or suffering 

from the cruelty of others too busy to really care about a “broken wing” or perhaps a broken heart.

So many are busy licking their own wounds and getting on with their own lives, that they are unaware of 

the “sparrows” that God has placed in their midst. 

Those who need to be invited into a place of “Sanctuary”!

Do you treat your employees like this or a friend who has been through a season of sorrow or loss?

Do you find yourself simply walking past the Wounded or “dead Sparrow”?

That would be a normal reaction, but evidently when the Lord saw the sparrow that fell, he felt very differently.  

He said,

“MY FATHER KNOWS ABOUT THAT SPARROW…

…And my Father cares about it.” 

 

Then notice what He says:

Matthew 10:30

“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 

 

A SPARROW IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD,

…that it doesn't fall to the ground without God knowing about it, 

and you and those whom He has placed around you to radiate truth and hope to, are of more value than many sparrows.

In Matthew, chapter 6, I think that Lord has done some bird watching and might want us to do some as well!

Because… 

…He said:

Matthew 6:26-34

26 "Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, 

but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds.

27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? 

Look at how the lilies in the field grow. 

They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 

29 But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 

30 I clothe the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. 

So you can be even surer that I will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! 

31 Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 

32 The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, 

and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 

33 Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. 

34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. 

Each day has enough trouble of its own."

 

That last part of verse 26…. 

…It asks such a beautiful and piercing question.

“And do you not know that you are worth much more than the birds?”

Or in another translation is asks,

“Are you not of more value than they?"  

 In other words, if God cares this much about a sparrow, about a bird, 

how much more then does He care about you?  

 

Think about it:  

We are the Crown Jewel of His Creation.  

We are made in His image!  

We see what He has made in nature alone and then think,

“Wow, even mankind is elevated above all of that.  

God you really are amazing. 

God you really do love us!”  

If our response is not adoration and praise, we need to check our hearts 

and see God once again for Who He is. 

 

A very well spoken and eloquent preacher said one time,

“There is never a sparrow that dies but that God goes to its funeral.”

This really touched my heart and impressed me. 

Not a sparrow dies, but that God..

… goes to its funeral.

 

THE NEXT TIME THAT YOU SEE A SPARROW… 

…Remember that God is paying attention to that little sparrow. 

God is interested in you and He is interested and concerned about me as well! 

Remember that God cares about you so much more than even that sparrow, 

and that He wants to draw you closely into a safe place of Sanctuary with Him!  

A place of safety and peace, where you can rest and learn about His love for you, 

for your family and those dear close friends and perhaps a few lost or weary lonely souls that He has sent to you.

In such vulnerable moments we need to take heart to the words of 

2 Chronicles 16:9

It says, 

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro (or back and forth) throughout the whole earth, 

to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

King David tenderly expressed this reality when he wrote, 

“Keep me as the apple of Your eye [that means, the pupil or center of your vision]; 

hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” (Psalm 17:8). 

 

Truly, We Need to Know We Are Not Alone.

I hope you will never again look at a sparrow in quite the same way. 

We’re even told in Psalm 84:3-4 that sparrows and swallows find a home and nest at the altars of the Lord, 

at the tabernacle, at temple of God, and how much more so should we!

Here’s a little observation assignment for you: 

Watch a little bird.

And when you do, stay focused for a while. 

Yes, focus, and realize that God is looking at you, even more intently in that very same moment. 

After all, people are like sparrows in being noticed and cared for by God, yet in an even greater way.

 

But mark this difference in your observing: 

You will move on in a world that doesn’t stop, but God never takes His eyes off of you.

God deeply cares for you as spoken in 1 Peter 5:7. 

It says, 

“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, 

once and for all] on Him,

For He cares about you [with deepest affection, 

and watches over you very carefully].”

  

It’s All Part of An Amazing Love Story

— of a love affair started by Him and is highlighted by the invitation from God’s Son to “Follow Him.” 

This invitation is constant and runs over like a cool glass of water, with an incredible promise to us who, 

like the sparrow, are not neglected or forgotten.

While the world values power, status, and outward appearance…

… God values the lowly and unseen. 

 

Sparrows were considered little worth in ancient marketplaces, 

yet Jesus said not one falls without the Father knowing. 

This is not a message about birds alone, but about you and me. 

If God cares for the sparrow, how much more does He care for you, His beloved child?

In moments when we feel overlooked or forgotten, 

the image of the sparrow reminds us that God’s eyes never turn away. 

He knows your fears.

He sees your needs, 

and He is,

Always near. 

This truth helps to free us to live without fear and to trust in His daily provision and protection.

 

I REALLY LIKE THIS SOFT, 

HONEST AND SIMPLE PRAYER BY ANABELLE THOMPSON WHO IS A MISSIONARY.

Father God, thank You for showing me how deeply You care for every living thing through the sparrow. 

Even when I feel small or unnoticed, help me remember that Your eyes are always on me. 

Teach me to trust in Your daily care and to rest in the knowledge that I am never forgotten. 

Help me to live with faith that sees Your hand in every detail, just as You provide for the birds of the air. 

May I always find peace in knowing You are near. 

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

Dear Listener! 

The Heavenly Father HAS MUCH TO TELL YOU REGARDING 

ALL OF THE PLANS THAT HE HAS FOR YOU! 

“Settle into the nest… 

…And Rest!”

God is waiting to speak and meet with you!

 

Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is welcomed 

provided that complete source, podcast and website information for Mary Lindow 

is included. Thank You!

Copyright  2026

"THE ADVOCATE OF HOPE " 

~ Mary Lindow

www.marylindow.com

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