The Value Of A Sparrow

(by Lorie Codispoti)

For the longest time I thought our resident woodpecker was an aviary escapee. Seriously, I thought someone’s pet had flown the coup and resettled in our little cluster of trees. With his loud, tropical song, he rivals every other bird in the forrest.

The Bible mentions birds 300 times. One example is found in Mathew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Contrary to some of my bird savvy friends, my entire collection of ornithological knowledge wouldn’t fill a hummingbird egg. But sparrows? Really?

I don’t have to be an ornithologist to know that sparrows are not only a common bird, whose numerous flocks number in the thousands, but they are so common that predators can feast upon them and still barely put a dent in their population. So plentiful were they in biblical times, that this passage indicates that you could purchase two for a penny. (Cheaper still, if you bought in bulk - five for two cents according to Luke 12:6.)

Cue the curiosity that sparks the questions that drive me to dig a little deeper.

Starting with the big one: Why? Why does God use a seemingly worthless, no-frills sparrow to express our value? I mean, wouldn’t the glamour of a more exotic bird be what garners the attention of esteemed publications? Wouldn't their colorful plumage and unique characteristics be the thing that compels every bird lover to upgrade their binoculars? No bird club is going to race to be the first to post their encounter with a lack luster sparrow when they wouldn’t even qualify as a contestant in the flying beauty chain.

In hopes of filling a bigger egg with my bird knowledge, I did a little research.

Did you know that because of its location, Israel is a country of continual migration? Over 500 million migratory birds cruise Israel’s celestial highway, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Imagine the display.

The common house sparrow is not, however, among those just passing through. Claiming six continents as home, sparrows are among one of Israel’s resident nesting birds. They love being around people and will nest in and on just about any structure (rafters, streetlamp, gutters, gas pumps, planters, etc. - no crevice is off limits). These greedy little beggars are also aggressive and persistent, stealing everything from a french fry to your burger’s wrapper if given the chance. They compete with other birds over nesting rights and will elbow out their neighbors at the feeder.

Sparrows are apparently a bird lover’s kryptonite, causing them to question their loving devotion to the entire winged world. One bird watcher confesses he wouldn’t mind seeing a few hundred of these winged interlopers land claws-up on the ground, but says they’d likely survive a nuclear attack. Superstitions abound as well. Some believe that if a sparrow flies into your home it means someone is about to die. Others say trouble is on the horizon if you dream of an injured one.

So again, I ask, if sparrows have been dubbed the lab rats of the avian world by most cultures, why would Jesus tell His disciples they were “of more value than many sparrows”? (Mtt.10:31) Was that supposed to make them feel better, because I don’t think I’d be feeling the love.

I found the answer within the three omnies of God.

Omniscient. God is all-knowing. He not only has full knowledge of every creature that has ever lived and died, but He has numbered the very hairs on our heads (Mtt.10:30). While we cannot count the number of stars, He has named each one (Psa.147:4). The psalmist even references God’s thoughts toward us as outnumbering the grains of sand.

God’s knowledge, says the writer of Psalm 139, “is too wonderful for me” - so high that “I cannot attain it.” (Vs.6) Job echoes this sentiment and acknowledges God’s omniscience when he proclaims, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”(Job 42:5). In a world that elevates knowledge, I find great comfort in the fact that God’s knowledge is too wonder-filled for me to wrap my thoughts around. It enables me to rest in the assurance of His loving care.

Omnipotent. God is the supreme Ruler. He exacts ultimate control over every aspect of His creation. God’s word tells us that not one sparrow falls outside of His will (Mtt.10:29), and that He provides for their every need (Mtt.6:26). In both of these passages we are encouraged not to worry about the things to come. Because God’s rule involves caring for the needs of every creature under heaven, even a new believer (which is what Jesus' disciples were at this time) can fully trust in His sovereignty and be assured that nothing has the power to usurp His divine rule and reign over their lives.

Omnipresent. God is present. Everywhere. All the time. From the beginning of time He’s never been absent from any event in human history.

In Psalm 102 we read the plight and heart’s cry of a broken person pleading for God’s presence. Overwhelmed by his affliction, he likens himself to “a pelican of the wilderness,” an “owl of the desert,” and “a sparrow alone on the housetop.” (Vs.6-7) Since pelicans live near water, and eat fish, this expression symbolizes hopeless destitution. An owl’s nocturnal hoot has long been associated with a mournful death cry. And, since a sparrow is rarely seen far from his life-sustaining community, the sighting of a lone one represents deep loneliness and sorrow.

The lamenting soul is one who feels alone and abandoned. Because God is ever-present He hears and comes to the aid of the broken. “You, O Lord will endure forever. You will arise and have mercy.” (Psa.102:12a&13) “He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise it.” (vs.17) “For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven the Lord viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those appointed to death…” (vs.19-20a)

In Matthew 10, Jesus is preparing His disciples by telling them what they will face as they are sent to proclaim the gospel… They will be sheep among wolves - rejected, hated, tortured, accused, and even put to death. He knows there will be times when they wonder if God knows what they are going through (omniscience). He knows they will question God’s rule (omnipotence). And, Jesus knows that their circumstances will cause them to doubt God is with them like He promised (omnipresence). His words arm them, and He prepares them with the truth they will need for the times when they will feel as worthless as a dead sparrow hanging in the market, and as deserted and destitute as a lone bird crying in the wilderness.

Christian, in a world filled with migratory wonders and nesting beauties, it’s easy to feel like an insignificant little sparrow, easily lost among a multitude of our own look-a-likes. It’s easy to think we’ve been abandoned when the enemy’s “arrow that flies by day” targets and fells us to the ground, leaving us broken and defenseless. However, our God provides a “secret place” for us to hide and abide when we feel overwhelmed. He “delivers us from the snare of the fowler” and “covers us with His feathers.” It’s “under His wings where we take refuge.” His “truth shall be our shield” and no evil predator will have the power to destroy us when we “make the Lord our habitation.” (Read and ponder these beautiful truths, found in Psa.91.)

It’s not about having the greatest wing span in the sky. It’s about the One whose shadow dwarfs yours because He “sits above the circle of the earth.” (Isa.40:22) It’s not even about out-singing your woodland counterparts, (like our resident woodpecker) because you know it’s “God’s voice that thunders and melts the earth.” (Psa.46:6)

When God choses to place value on the insignificant, it’s because He is significant. And because of who He is, the common little sparrow becomes the most beautiful bird in the sky.

“I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

The Enduring List

(by Lorie Codispoti)

“Make a list of your enemies.” the author wrote.

Those instructions grabbed my attention. I thought, “Hmm, would I list disease, poverty, corruption, violence, etc., including all seven things the Bible says God hates?” (Prov.6:16-19) Certainly, they would qualify as things we battle.

Then it occurred to me that none of these things answer the question. I only have one enemy - the list is simply the result of his activity in our broken world.

What if I flip the question & ask myself to make a list of my allies? Hmm, how could I possibly include everything on this endless list of blessings? … home, family, friends, church, country, a good job, nutritious food, easily accessed care (medical, military, police, firefighters, etc.). Perhaps I would cite the sunshine & the beauty of nature as an ally. I'd certainly include heroes of the faith.

Then it occurred to me that none of these answer this question either. I only have one Ally - my list is simply the result of His activity in a broken world.

After pondering both lists my heart landed on this glorious truth... The biggest difference between my enemy & my Ally, as it relates to their activity in our broken world, is that my enemy & all his activity has an expiration date! My Ally, on the other hand, is everlasting. He has a plan that will result in fixing our broken world. His activity will continue, and involve restoring, renewing, & recreating everything from His original design.

Only one of these lists will endure, as will our Ally, King Jesus.

I like compiling lists, so I hope to continue recording all the wonders our King has planned for us.

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1Cor.2:9)

I’m gonna need a lot of paper!

Get Busy!

(by Lorie Codispoti)

It’s time to get busy … resting!

Sounds like a contradiction of terms, doesn’t it? Well, to borrow a phrase from the infamous Inigo Montoya (Princess Bride), “I do not think it means what you think it means.”

BUSY VERSUS BUSYNESS

Before we can fully embrace what it means to rest, we must understand the difference between being busy (commendable work with purpose) and being caught up in busyness (a precursor to physical, emotional, and spiritual breakdown).

When I was raising my children, life was busy. Crazy busy. My days were filled with everything that goes along with nurturing and caring for young children. Most of the time I would reach the end of my day completely exhausted, yet I was also happily content. Every task had a purpose and I was fully engaged in the mission of mothering. However, on the days I neglected my need for rest, I would wolf into a miserable creature. By nightfall my perspective had skewed, and I found myself thinking life was nothing more than a monotonous cycle of repetitive tasks that had little to no value.

Busy and Busyness are incompatible adversaries. Busy reminds you that everything she does has a purpose; her goals are clear and attainable. She was designed with a rechargeable feature, known as rest, which you can access anytime, day or night. Busyness, on the other hand, is a thief. She’s not rechargeable and her goal is to sap your strength by convincing you that there is no time for rest. She will run you, helter-skelter, and transform you into a ravenous wolf who tears her house down.

SOMETIMES WE NEED A REMINDER

I am, by no means, a gardener, but I have experimented with growing and canning vegetables over the years (which is precisely why I buy them now). I remember being surprised by the need to recalibrate my pressure cooker. The temperature gauge has to be adjusted periodically in order for the cooker to work properly. The cooker has no way of knowing how vital this adjustment is, but the one using it does.

Jesus prioritized the need for rest when He commanded His disciples to “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31a). This directive reaches the ears of His disciples during a time when they are elated over the amazing fruit of their ministry, yet at the same time deeply grieving the loss of their friend, John the Baptist. 

Contemplate the emotional roller coaster they had to be riding. Then mix in the fact that the crowds kept coming. The needs were so many that Mark records the disciples “did not have time to eat” (vs.31b). They knew the importance of rest because it was modeled for them when the crowds pressed in for more of Jesus and they watched Him “withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Lk.5:16). Nevertheless, it took hearing “come away” from their Lord to convince these men of their need.

We need to stop glamorizing the destructive cycle of busyness and realize that rest is not only necessary, but it’s a mandate given by a Holy God who has prioritized knowing and loving Him over serving Him.

Now, don’t read that wrong. I’m not saying that you should walk away from service and sequester your life away, singing Kumbaya until Jesus comes. What I am saying is that our need for rest is a built-in feature designed for us to know God. And in order to do that we must step away from the pressures of life and allow His Spirit to recalibrate our hearts to Himself. And since kumbaya means “come by here,” go ahead and sing it ’til Jesus comes!

REST IN PEACE

We don’t have to wait until we die to rest in peace. However, we do have to find a way to shed the dead layers of this world’s influence if we want to enter into the kind of rest Christ offers His children. The beautiful thing is that God never requires us to shed the dead without blanketing us with words that layer renewal... “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (Jn.6:63b).

Several years ago, my friend adopted a child whose issues with anxiety peaked during the night hours. The lack of sleep had negative effects on the entire family. Through prayer she felt led to investigate the therapeutic benefits of a weighted blanket. She decided to try it and found that it helped to calm her daughter’s restlessness. Before long the whole family was sleeping peacefully through the night.

Whether you are single, married, raising children, employed, volunteer, or all the above, the ministry God has called you to is both rewarding and exhausting. Refreshment happens when we take the time to blanket our minds with Truth.

The apostle Paul understood this principle when he appealed to the believers in Rome:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rms.12:1-2).

He identified their need for a transformed mind and warned them about being conformed to the world’s way of thinking.

Do you think the believers in Rome were busy? After all, they were the first generation of Christians raising up the next generation of Christians. I’m sure their mission of “going into all the world and making disciples” felt a bit overwhelming at times.

Paul was well acquainted with the weariness that comes with ministering to the needs of others, but instead of attempting to bolster their reserves with empty platitudes like, “Man up!” or "You've got this!" he calls for them to make a sacrifice.

Huh? “Isn’t that what we’ve been doing, Paul? We’re ‘giving it all we’ve got, and yet, you’re telling us we need to sacrifice?” I can hear the defensive tone in their collective response.

In his article, How Do We Find Spiritual Rest, author, J.D. Greear says, “… the gospel tells us that when following Jesus gets difficult, the answer is not to ‘work harder’ but to ‘rest better.’ Only by learning to rest in Jesus will we have the strength we need to thrive.”

Resting is a necessary sacrifice we all need to put into practice.

CRAVING MORE THAN FISH

If it takes 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to tell you that you’re full, how long do you think it takes for your soul to tell you that your life is full? What signals you to stop running and take the needed time to digest?

I love fish! It’s been a favorite since I was a little girl. My grandparents lived on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and every day my grandfather went fishing after work. Eating fresh fish with my grandmother’s cornbread and butter beans was like feasting at Heaven’s table.

Physically speaking, as we age, our metabolism slows down and we need less food than we did when we were younger. Spiritually speaking, however, I have found that as I mature I need to ingest more. As much as I enjoy fish, it doesn’t compare to the Bread of Life and my Savior’s living water. I long to hear His voice, like the disciples did that morning on the beach when He called for them to “Come and eat breakfast.” (John 20:12)

Even though Jesus had miraculously filled their empty nets with an abundance of fish, when they heard His voice, they dropped everything to be with Him. My guess is, that by now they had learned that Jesus could feed more souls with a few fish and some bread than they could with overflowing nets, and that His presents were no match for His presence.

Do you know who burns the candle at both ends? Busyness! She may burn bright for a moment, but her light is frenetic and unsustainable. I suggest you snuff her out and build a campfire next to Busy. She'll wrap you in a blanket of rest, feed you, and give you time to digest the life giving truth your soul needs.

If you can hear the One who created you with a need for rest calling, "Come away!" maybe it's time to get busy... resting!

Dangling With Delight

(by Lorie Codispoti)

“Higher, Daddy! Push me higher!” Our nine-year-old daughter was elated as she soared into the air on the first ride of her new tree swing.

A few minutes before, she was instructed to straddle the rope as her daddy lifted her up on the board. She enthusiastically bounced around as her feet dangled between the swing and the ground. The anticipation of Daddy’s first push sent sounds of giddy laughter echoing through the woods.

This was no wimpy tree swing. Prior to its construction, my husband assured me that careful consideration had been factored into the location of the swing, as well as his articulate planning to connect the perfectly sized board seat to the chosen tree limb with a rope that came with a up-to-500-pound weight warranty.

When my husband builds something, you can count on two things: 1) It’s going to be secure. 2) It will outlast every other model. For this swing it was important that any rider choosing to mount and careen over the embankment do so with unwavering confidence. A thrill ride without the theme park, this swing had the look and feel of something you might read about in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. For several decades, our kids and their friends enjoyed riding, especially after it got dark outside. (FYI: The swing died after 25 years, but only because the limb gave way in a storm.)

When I reminisce over the sheer delight of our daughter’s first ride, I am reminded of what the Bible says in Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do your will, O God.”

Hmm... Do I? Would “delight” describe how I feel when my spiritual feet are dangling? Personally, I don’t care for the tension between anticipation and anxiety. I want full control over the swing and where it’s taking me, and I don’t trust that the Person coming up behind me is going to push me in the right direction, and not send me spinning out of control into the side of the tree.

Dangling with delight is an acquired skill. Our daughter was able to find joy in those moments of dangling, before her ride, because she trusted in one thing - her father. She felt secure in his ability to provide her with a durable and dependable swing because she knew him.

Isaiah 58:14 says, “…delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth…”

When we take the time to delight in our Father, and trust His plan for our lives, it won’t take much for us to jump up on that swing and cheerfully shout, “Higher Daddy! Push me higher!”

CONFUSION

(by Lorie Codispoti)

“I’m so confused!”

In Christian circles, the typical response to that statement tends to be, “Well, God’s not the author of confusion.” (referencing 1Cor.14:33) Obviously that’s correct, but I have to say that for someone struggling with confusion all they hear is a canned, empty platitude. Unless they are a new believer, they already know the origin of their confusion, and the only thing this reminder does is shame them into silence and sever any potential ministry opportunity you may have with them.

Honestly, I’m confused about things all the time. Come on! We live in a broken, self-destructive world that is Hell-bent on recruiting companions to reside with them in their misery. The seeds of confusion are scattered over the landscape of our minds every single day. And while it’s important to remember where those seeds come from, it’s vital that we prevent them from germinating into full blown lies that people pick, bundle into a bouquet, and carry with them to their own funeral.

A man loses his business because he refused to cheat like his successful counterparts.

A family struggles to understand why their mother suddenly left without explanation.

A missionary family completes their training, is deployed, and then recalled because they lost their support.

Sickness and disease kill. The innocent are victimized. People walk away from their faith. Governments are corrupt. Heroes fall.

And the list goes on… and on… and on.

Can you sense the confusion?

Can you relate to the pain?

Many struggle to understand how the fertile soil of their lives can be so forcefully invaded, and why it feels like everything that was beginning to bloom is heartlessly bulldozed and mulched into unrecognizable bits. The view is bewildering. But, hear me when I say this: Confusion is not a sin; it’s the result of sin. It’s a consequence of living in a fallen world. I think we’d be hard-pressed to find a single biblical character who didn’t wrestle with confusion after the fall. Read any of the stories and you will find evidence of perplexed people - confused about their situation, their God, and His word. No one wants to be confused, yet here we are.

Why can’t we resolve the issues of the ever increasing age of confusion we live in? The short answer is that we’ve replaced HE with WE, and when the lens of our circumstance blurs we turn to ourselves rather than God for clarity.

We’ve made huge strides in medicine, yet people still die of sickness and disease. Meteorologists are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, yet severe weather still surprises and destroys lives. Educational opportunities abound, yet illiteracy remains an issue. In a world where safe havens, rehab centers, and counselors exist, homelessness, addictions, and mental illness are on the rise. Despite modern efforts to resolve our problems, they continue to grow like weeds in a garden.

Am I saying we should reject the gifts and trash all our resources? Of course not. I continue to research and employ the medical resources I have been given to improve my health, but if I invest my heart and soul in remediating my condition without consulting God first and foremost, I’ve opted for the poor man’s remedy.

So what’s the answer? How do we exchange confusion for clarity when our circumstances begin to blur life’s lens?

Confusion can take you to dark and sinful places, but it can also drive you to Christ and solidify your faith. I have found these three components of strategic prayer to be critically important when the author of confusion approaches.

POSTURE

“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” (Isa.66:2)

Coming before the throne of a holy God demands a posture of humility, and there are many Scripture passages we can draw from to assist with posturing our hearts rightly before Him.

Posture involves repentance. (It’s what “contrite” means.) I come before God in humility, but also with a heart of repentance. If confusion has caused me to question God’s love, doubt His goodness, and sown mistrust in my heart then I need to confess those things, repent and receive His forgiveness.

Do you "tremble at My word"? There's a trembling that involves fear, but there is also a kind of trembling that involves sheer awe. When I think about who God is and meditate on His amazing attributes, every part of my being positions itself to bow down and worship the great I Am. I tremble in awe of the One who invites me into His holy presence.

PRESENCE

“I am with you always.” (Mtt.28:20) “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb.13:5b) “… I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” (Psa.23:4)

In order to express how vital this component has become to my prayer life, I must first confess that there have been times where I could not feel God’s presence, at all. When the pain would escalate to such a degree of physical and spiritual delerium I would cry, “GOD, WHERE ARE YOU? I can’t find you!” It felt like God had completely abandoned me. For the first time, I could relate to Paul when he said, “for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.” (2Cor.1:8b) I wanted to die. I had full confidence that I’d be in His presence if I died, but none that He was with me in my greatest hour of suffering. What’s wrong with that confused thinking? Well, for starters it’s a lie!

As I walked through those dark places of confusion, Scriptures (like those above) would automatically rise up within me and play over and over in my mind. I had no strength to pick up my Bible and look for them. It was God’s Spirit within me that brought them to mind and continually pushed the replay button. John and I would also sing Scripture songs - some we hadn’t heard or sung since we were new believers, yet we had total recall. I would also think about the lives of those I’ve known and read about, and how they testified of God’s presence in their darkest days. Each reminder was like an infusion of reassuring faith. Practicing His presence when you feel nothing is an exercise of faith - a belief in His promised, abiding presence.

To KNOW that God was with me went beyond feelings, which can ebb and flow with the varying degrees of pain. His presence tethered me to my Savior in a deeper way than I’ve ever known. When I had absolutely no strength to hold on to Him, He held on to me with an unshakeable grip.

POWER

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)

God’s presence leads to His enabling power. If there’s one thing that walking through this health trial has taught me, it’s that I am much weaker and more dependent than I ever imagined. As a result, I have a much clearer understanding of my need for the Holy Spirit’s active work in my life.

Take the time to read what the word tells us about the Holy Spirit's all encompassing role as Comforter/Helper, Counselor, Guide and Intercessor (Jn.4:24, 14:26; Romans 8:14; John 14:26; Romans 8:26), how He gifts us for service (Rms.12:6-8, 1Cor.12:1-11), and His fruit production (Gal.5:22-23) in our lives. God’s Spirit is not an impersonal force. Jesus told His disciples that His Spirit would be an indwelling force. That's personal!

Sin blurred our world, and without the Helper to refocus our lens we will never see things clearly.

Two things to remember about God sending His Spirit and empowering His disciples: 1) He came when they were confused, and that confusion compelled them to gather and pray. Prayer activates His power. Confusion should trigger an immediate prayer response … “God, I don’t know what to do; send Help.” 2) We don’t own His power; it owns us. When we cry out for help, God gets to decide how and when to display His work in us. Remember the reason Jesus stated for giving us His power - so that we would be His witnesses (not the other way around). I can be assured (and reminded) that when I call for help, God will answer with power, but He’s the one Who determines what that will look like in order for my life to testify to Him.

This is more freeing than I have words or space to express, but the thing I love about His indwelling power is that I can cry for “help” and God knows exactly what to do, and what He does is exactly what I need. It may come in the form of remembering His word. It might be with the strength to endure, or the ability to recognize His goodness amidst great times of suffering, but it will always come. And when it does it always testifies of the One who sent it.

The next time you’re tempted to respond to someone’s state of confusion by quoting 1Corinthians 14:33 (“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”), remember that Paul’s emphasis was not on the author of confusion, but on the God of peace. It might be necessary for you to clarify the origin, but make sure you help them refocus their lens by showing them how to cry out for help. It’s the only way to walk in His peace and testify of His goodness in this age of confusion.