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By Mary Lindow
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.
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 express 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?”
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 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.
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
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.
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.
(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 very differently.
He said,
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!
He said:
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."
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.
HE 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!
“The Lowly Sparrow”
~Author Unknown
I am only a little
sparrow!
A bird of low degree!
My life is of little
value.
But the dear Lord
cares for me
He gave me a coat of
feathers
'Tis very plain I
know:
With never a speck of
crimson.
For it was not made for
show.
But it keeps me warm
in winter,
It shields me from the
rain.
Were it bordered with
gold and purple
Perhaps it would make
me vain
I have no barn or
storehouse:
I never sow or reap:
God gives me a
sparrow's portion.
But never a seed to
keep.
If my meat is
sometimes scanty,
Close picking makes it
sweet:
I have always enough
to keep me.
And life is more than
meat.
I know there are many
sparrows:
All over the world
they're found:
But our heavenly
Father knows,
When one of us falls
to the ground.
Though small, we are
never forgotten-
Though weak, we are
never afraid.
For we know that the
dear Lord keeps
The lives of the
creatures He made.
I fly through the
thickest forest,
I light on many a
spray,
I have no chart or
compass,
But I never lose my
way.
Duplication and
re-transmission of this writing is welcomed
provided that complete source and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
provided that complete source and website information for Mary Lindow is included.
Thank You!
Copyright 2012 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary
Lindow
