Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Worth More Than Sparrows

 

[Photo of a sparrow with a Scripture verse superimposed]


“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not
one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be
afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
—Luke 12:6-7

Our current culture has a very interesting set of rules that people use to measure the value and worth of any particular individual. Physical beauty certainly ranks very high on the list. Possessing wealth also gives a person certain cultural credit. Providing entertainment in either a fairly serious or totally bizarre way also earns a person cultural points toward value and worth.

Intellect ranks quite a bit lower on the cultural scale of individual worth. So does qualities once greatly revered: honesty, faithfulness, truthfulness, dependability, helpfulness, kindness, graciousness, and—well I could go on and on.

Fortunately, we who belong to God through His precious Son, Jesus, do not have our value measured by the measuring stick of the current cultural. Our true value is determined by the God who loves us.

Jesus Himself made a critically important statement about our inherent value to His Father in the words recorded by Dr. Luke in Luke 12:6-7:

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

God considers us to have inestimable value and worth. He never forgets us. He holds us closely to His mind and heart. He grants us the privilege of being His dearly loved children. We are heirs with Christ of the Kingdom of God.

Furthermore, God has chosen us to represent Him here on this earth. We are His royal ambassadors to this earthly kingdom of darkness and need. In other words, our value is so high that it cannot be measured.

No, we may not live up to the measuring stick of the culture. But in the heavenly and eternal culture no one possesses more favor with God than we do. And, that, dear ones, is reason enough to begin this day with praise on our lips and joy in our hearts.

 

Copyright © 2016 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.