“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:4-7 (KJV)
Joel began his computations for the shuttle’s trajectory. He was having problems focusing and repeated the logarithms several times. Finally, he took a break and went to his locker. He had rushed out of the house without doing his devotions. He knew better but today was the lift-off and everyone was on edge. Well, NASA would just have to wait. He needed his devotional time to calm himself and get focused for the day.
Joel took his Bible down from the locker shelf and went into the break room for a latte. Taking his drink to a table, Joel opened his Bible to Luke chapter 12. He was engulfed immediately with Luke’s narrative. His mathematical mind grabbed the idea of numbered hairs. Would God assign him a place in the hair counting department of heaven? Surely the chief hair counting angel would recognize his genius for numbers. Suddenly, his mind’s screen developed a constant blip, blip, blip. Then the screen went blank and the Spirit spoke to him. “That is a literary device that Luke used to emphasize God’s care for his disciples.”
Nothing happens in the disciple’s life – N O T H I N G – that escapes God’s attention. Heart thumping. Finger nail growth. Blood pressure, up or down. Skin rubbed off in the shower. How one dresses. Speech. Problems in the family. Weight loss or gain. Concern for social issues. Attitudes. Stress at work. Doing computer calculations for the space shuttle. The list just gets longer. But rest assured that you and your life do not escape the attention of God. He cares about you and for you.
Joel silently thanked God for his personal care and returned to his work station. Now he could focus because he was certain that he was important to God.
Dear Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. How great is our God! We praise you for your care and concern for us. Empower us with assurance and deliver us from fear of your enemies. This I pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN
Let us praise God for his care and live to glorify his name,