You are valuable to God

"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

There are some words of Jesus that are comforting because they are gentle. There are others that are comforting because they remind us of who God is. And then there are words like these, words that speak directly into our fears.

Jesus was speaking to His disciples at a time when following Him would not necessarily be easy or safe. He was preparing them for opposition, rejection and persecution.

Earlier in the passage, Jesus warns them: "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." (Luke 12:1)

He then tells them that they should not be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot do anything more. "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more." (Luke 12:4)

Instead:

"Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell." (Luke 12:5)

Jesus is putting things into perspective.

Don't fear man more than you fear God.

People may reject you.

People may threaten you.

People may oppose you.

People may even take your life.

But they cannot take your eternal destiny.

 

God alone has ultimate authority. And then Jesus gives them this beautiful assurance:

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God."

Sparrows that nobody notices

In the days of Jesus, sparrows were among the cheapest things one could buy. They were common. They were small. They were of little economic value. You would hardly notice a sparrow flying across the sky. And yet Jesus says:

"Not one of them is forgotten by God."

Think about that for a moment. A little sparrow, so common and seemingly insignificant in the eyes of people, is never insignificant in the eyes of God. He sees every one of them. He knows every one of them. Not a single one is forgotten. If God cares for something as small and seemingly insignificant as a sparrow, how much more does He care for you, someone created in His image and precious in His sight?

Jesus says: "You are worth more than many sparrows." That is not merely a statement about importance. It is a statement about value.

You are not just important, you are valuable

There is a difference between being important and being valuable. You may sometimes feel that you are important only when you are accomplishing something. You may feel valuable when people appreciate you. You may feel significant when your work is successful. 

But what happens when the ministry does not grow? What happens when people don't appreciate what you do? What happens when you fail? What happens when you become older and can no longer do what you once did? Does your value disappear?

No.

Your value was never determined by your achievements. Your value comes from the fact that God knows you, sees you and loves you. Jesus doesn't say: "You are worth more because you have accomplished more."

He simply says: "You are worth more than many sparrows." Your value is established by God.

God has intimate knowledge of you

Jesus takes the illustration even further: "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered." What an extraordinary statement. God doesn't merely know that you exist.

He knows you intimately.

He knows the things about you that nobody else knows. He knows your joys. He knows your disappointments. He knows your fears. He knows your struggles. He knows the prayers you have prayed when nobody else was listening. He knows the tears you have shed when nobody else saw them. He knows the questions you have carried silently in your heart. He knows you completely.

The God who knows the number of hairs on your head is not a distant God who watches humanity from far away.

He is a God who knows you personally.

Psalm 139 expresses this beautifully: "You have searched me, LORD, and you know me." - Psalm 139:1

And again: "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." - Psalm 139:2

There is nowhere we can go where God does not know us. There is nothing we can experience that takes Him by surprise.

 

Nothing escapes God's notice

Jesus' words about the sparrows give us another wonderful assurance: "Not one of them is forgotten by God." If God does not forget a sparrow, He certainly does not forget His children. Sometimes circumstances make us feel forgotten. You may pray and wonder: "Does God know what I am going through?" You may face a crisis and wonder: "Where is God?" You may be serving faithfully and wonder: "Does anyone see what I am doing?"

The answer is: God sees.

Nothing escapes His notice. Nothing catches Him by surprise. Nothing happens outside His knowledge. And ultimately, nothing can happen to His children outside His sovereign permission. That does not mean that everything that happens is good. It does not mean that God approves of everything that happens.

We live in a fallen world, and suffering is real. But it does mean that God is never absent, never unaware and never out of control.

Romans 8:28 reminds us: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

We may not understand what God is doing. But we can trust the One who knows what He is doing.

So don't be afraid

Three times in this section Jesus speaks about fear. He knows that His disciples will face opposition. He knows they will experience pressure. He knows they will be tempted to remain silent.

And Jesus says: "Don't be afraid."

Why?

Not because nothing bad will happen. But because God is greater than whatever may happen. Man may have power over the body. But man does not have the final word over your life.

God does.

That changes the way we face difficult circumstances. We don't live recklessly. We don't pretend that danger doesn't exist. But neither do we allow fear to control our obedience.

We fear God more than we fear man.

We trust God more than we trust circumstances.

We value God's approval more than man's approval.

God knows your name

There is something deeply personal about this passage. Jesus does not say:"God knows people." He brings it right down to the individual: "The very hairs of your head are all numbered."

You are not merely one among billions. You are known by God. You are seen by God. You are remembered by God. You are loved by God. You are valuable to God. That means you can come to Him with confidence. When you don't know what tomorrow holds, God does. When you don't know how the situation will turn out, God does. When you don't know what decision to make, God does. When you feel forgotten, God has not forgotten you. When you feel alone, God is with you.

A personal question

Perhaps today you are facing something that has made you afraid.

Maybe it is a family situation.

Maybe it is a financial concern.

Maybe it is a ministry challenge.

Maybe it is uncertainty about the future.

Maybe you are simply tired.

Take a moment and remember what Jesus said:

"Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." You are not just important. You are valuable to God. And the God who knows every sparrow knows you even more intimately. You may not know what tomorrow holds. But you know the One who holds tomorrow.

REFLECTION

Take a few moments to reflect on these questions:

1. What fear is presently competing with my trust in God?
2. Am I more concerned about what people think of me or what God thinks of me?
3. Do I really believe that God sees and knows what I am going through?
4. Have I allowed my achievements, failures or circumstances to determine my sense of worth?
5. What would change in my life if I genuinely lived each day believing, "I am valuable to God"?
6. Is there an area of my life where I need to stop being afraid and start trusting God?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You know me completely. You know my thoughts, my fears, my struggles and my weaknesses. You know every detail of my life, even those things that nobody else sees. Thank You that I am not forgotten.

When I feel insignificant, remind me that I am valuable to You. When I feel overlooked, remind me that You see me. When I feel alone, remind me that You are with me. When I am afraid of what people may say or do, help me to fear You more than I fear man.

Give me the courage to remain faithful even when obedience is difficult. Lord, I do not understand everything that happens in my life. There are things I cannot explain and circumstances I cannot control. But I choose to trust You.

Help me to remember that nothing escapes Your notice. You know what I am facing, You know what tomorrow holds, and You are never absent from my life.

Teach me to rest in Your sovereignty. When I am anxious, give me peace. When I am discouraged, give me strength.

When I feel forgotten, remind me that I am remembered. When I feel worthless, remind me of my value in Your sight. May I live today with this assurance:

I am known by God.
I am loved by God.
I am valuable to God.
And I do not need to be afraid.

In the precious name of Jesus,

Amen.