A Lesson from a Sparrow

Francis Bourdillon, 1873

It is winter. The weather is cold. The snow lies on the ground—not the pure white snow of the country, such as you used to see perhaps when you were young, but the smoke-stained, sooty snow of a London court.

A little sparrow, more smoke-stained and sooty still, hops about. Now on the roof, now in the court below, now on the window-sill—it is looking everywhere for a breakfast, but finds little.

Does anyone care for that little bird? It seems not. No window is opened to give it food; no one seems to take any notice of it or to know that it is there. If it should find no food and if tonight should be colder than last night and the little thing should die—or if some cruel boy should come through the court and knock it on the head, would it matter to anyone? Would anyone know? Would anyone care?

Yes, God would know—and God would care! The great God Almighty, who made you and me, who made Heaven and earth—He cares for the little sparrow. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God" (Luke 12:6). God takes notice of everything He has made. Not a sparrow falls to the ground and dies without Him—without His knowledge, without His will.

But Jesus Christ said more. When He spoke about sparrows, He was speaking to men, to His disciples, and He said to them, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:7).

Did He mean only those disciples to whom He was speaking? Did He not mean all His disciples in every age?

Surely He did. If God cares for sparrows, He certainly cares for His redeemed children. That is what our Lord meant to teach us.

You may be poor, lowly, wicked; you may be cast off by man; you may even deserve it by reason of the life you are leading. Yet look at that little sparrow. God takes notice of it; God cares for it. Yet more does He take notice of you and care for you.

Ah, why do you not care for Him? The little sparrow cannot. But you can—for you have thought and sense. You must have learned something about God—the great God who made you, who keeps you, who loves you; who loved you so much that He gave His dear Son to die for you, and loves you still.

You are not like the little bird. You can think. You have learned something about God. Yet perhaps you are as careless about Him as the sparrow itself.

Can this be right, to live with no thought of God? Is it grateful? Is it safe? Can it end well?

Perhaps your lot is a hard one. Your life, it may be, has few comforts and many troubles. Some of them, you think, have come by no fault of yours; but others you know you have brought on yourself. Yes, but your lot would be yet harder and your troubles worse—if God had not cared for you. He has not forgotten you, and He has not dealt with you as you have deserved. He has remembered you, cared for you, borne with you, been good to you. Through all the years in which you have forgotten Him, He has never forgotten you—never.

He will do more for you—if you will seek Him, than He has ever done yet. Turn to Him, poor sinner! Turn to Him through Jesus Christ. Turn to Him, just as you are. Turn to Him and ask Him to forgive you for forgetting Him, for sinning against Him, for swearing, for drinking, for living as if there were no God. Ask Him to blot out all your sins in the blood of Jesus Christ. Ask Him to give you His Holy Spirit—that you may have a new heart.

He who cares even for sparrows, and who has cared for you all your life long—will hear your prayer and have mercy upon you. And happy will you be, when you learn to care for God, to know Him, love Him, serve Him. Happy will you be when you find God to be your Father, Jesus to be your Savior, the Holy Spirit to be your Comforter. You may be poor still—yet you will be rich. God will comfort you, help you, and take care of you. He will not let you lack anything that is for your good. He will be your God indeed then—your helper in all need, your Friend in all trouble. He will bless you here and bless you forever, and all for Jesus Christ's sake, who loved you and gave Himself for you.