Matthew 10:30-31

“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

In the verses preceding this, Jesus is talking about having no fear and being bold in Him. Whatever may come in this world, we are to proclaim the gospel and stand firm in a God who keeps us eternally alive in Him. In this portion of the passage, Jesus is still talking to the twelve as he sends them out instructing them with all of these things to equip them for what is to come. Jesus is assuring them of the fact that he cares for each one more than many sparrows in the sky and He knows every detail about them and is strengthening and sending them out in faith and confidence to do the work He has set before them. The Father is always looking over His children and is walking with them through every part of their day. I’m reminded of this fact more with the parable in Luke about the ninety-nine sheep. In Luke 15:4-7 it says, 

“‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

To the Lord, each of us are precious sheep, and we can have confidence without fear knowing that he is never going to leave us, He is always with us fighting for us. 

This is such a truth in my life that I need to be reminded of. I can know this truth in my head, but the Lord has really shown me in my heart and in this life how much He cares for me. Through all of this process of digging out the gunk and Him reshaping me into something new, the Lord is really telling me He loves me and showing me how to love Him so much more intimately. The Lord has really broken the part of me that was afraid to be intimate, afraid to let Him work because I knew it was going to hurt, I knew the process was going to be hard, but in the end it is so beautiful to really see the Lord and recognize His grace and mercy that was so willingly given to me. He reminded me with this verse that I am His beautiful creation and He made me with detail and really knows all of me and I am His precious child intimately known and created by Him. How crazy is that? He created me with this life, knowing every hair on my head because He loves me and desires for me to humbly run back to my shepherd for true life and protection. Not only that, but He is faithful to find me when I go astray and bring me back to Him and rescue me from the danger that is around me. He is just so good and I often forget to look to Him and see that he is my value and identity and there really is no fear in Him. My application is to call my friend who is thinking about coming to IGNITE and be bold in the Lord to speak what I feel He has me to say to her.