We were working on a community college expansion project. It was Friday afternoon, and we were erecting steel canopies on the new buildings. As we worked, I noticed a small hole in the cinder block wall about the size of a golf ball. Two sparrows were flying in and out of it.
There must be a nest in that block, I thought. So I got a ladder and climbed up to look in. Sure enough - open, hungry mouths!
We had several canopies to erect and the last one would cover the hole. I tried to think of a way to rescue or move the birds. The only way I could think of was to break out the cinder block, but that would get me in trouble with the masons who built the cinder block wall. But the thought of covering the hole and having those young sparrows starve to death was really bothering me. God tells us in Matthew chapter 10 that nothing can happen to a little sparrow without our Father in heaven knowing about it, and I didn’t want to be responsible for harming those baby birds.
Finally we got down to the last two canopies. I was really getting worried when my foreman came over and said we were going to stop working there and move to another building. What a relief ! God was looking after those sparrows.
Do you know that God is watching over you so carefully that He even has the hairs of your head all numbered? You can’t do that for yourself, because that numbering started with your first hairs when you were a baby. But God can. And He will take care of you in any situation if you will trust Him and confess Him as your Lord and Saviour. So God is telling each of us now, “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:31-3231Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 10:31‑32)).
For now the little sparrows were safe, and I was relieved. I hoped that before we had to return to that job on Monday they would have grown enough to be able to leave the nest.
First thing Monday morning I got a ladder to check the birds. They were all still there. Right then I made up my mind that even if the masons got really angry with me, I was going to move that nest!
As I started to pound on the cinder block with a hammer, I was startled when one sparrow flew out of the hole, quickly followed by three more. I startled them, they startled me, and all ended happily. The birds were free, the canopy was put up, and the masons didn’t get angry with me. It was another proof to me that “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)).
I am so glad that God tells us how He watches over even the little sparrows, and I saw it firsthand. But you and I mean even so much more to Him than little sparrows! Do you know how much He loves us? So much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die on Calvary’s cross for us. While Jesus hung there, He bore the punishment for the sins of any who will truly admit from their hearts that they are sinners and accept Him as their very own Saviour. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)).
I also know His great love firsthand, and you can too.
ML-01/10/1999