His Eye Is on the Sparrow [614241]

His Eye Is on the Sparrow
A Message of Hope in These Trying Times
David Wilkerson
August 21, 2006
The whole world is trembling right now over the outbreak of terror and calamities
happening throughout the earth. Ever y day we wake up to learn of another
disaster. Some observers say we’re wi tnessing the beginni ngs of World War III.
First, terrorists blew up trains in Spain, and then masses died in train explosions in
India. In Pakistan, a disastrous earthquake devastated entire towns, leaving
thousands homeless, hungry and hurting. Multitudes in the Far East are still
suffering in the aftermath of the tsunami.
Then came devastating disasters in Amer ica. First, record-setting hurricanes
slammed repeatedly into Florida — and then Katrina struck. America watched as
one of its major metropolitan areas was nearly wiped out, along with other
important Gulf coastal cities. In recent weeks, massive fires have swept through
the South and West, with thousands of ac res burning in Texas, Oklahoma and
California.
Never in our history have there been so many consuming fires and raging
hurricanes. Yet the upheaval is not just happening here. The earth is experiencing
record-breaking heat worldwide, causin g massive floods, torrential rains and
hurricanes.
Now the world trembles as it watches a ma d dictator in North Korea fire off missiles.Page 1 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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Kim Jong Il is racing to produce at le ast seven nuclear bombs for warheads, while
he allows his suffering, oppressed nati on to starve to death. The world’s
leadership seems baffled as to how to st op this insane man’s threats to other
nations.
Meanwhile, another mad, devi l-possessed dictator sits in power in Iran, one more
nation that’s rushing to produce nuclear bombs. This dictator and his crazed
mullahs boast that they’re going to destro y Israel by blasting the entire nation
into oblivion. Meanwhile, they issue th reats to the rest of the world not to
interfere with their nuclear plans, warnin g they’ll shut off oil supplies to anyone
who tries.
Then, most recently, there is the frightening news that Israel has retaliated
against Gaza and Lebanon. The conflict th ere is spreading rapidly, with rockets
falling on both sides, killing civilians by the dozens. The whole world holds its
breath as it watches the news report s, fearing a full-scale Middle East war.
Israel’s leaders have made it clear they won’t tolerate a nuclear threat from Iran.
Their only hope may be to bomb all Iran ian nuclear sites. World powers may call
for a ceasefire in the region, but it will be short lived, like every other conflict in
Israel’s history since 1948. A great co nflagration in the Middle East seems
inevitable.
As these frightening calamities break out on all sides — wars, terrorism, natural
disasters, nuclear threats — there is yet another menacing threat to humankind.
Scientists around the world are on pins and needles as they monitor the Avian
bird flu. They warn that if this deadly strain mutates to humans, it could cause a
worldwide pandemic. (As I write this, some fifteen people have already died.)
Experts speculate that such a mutation could wipe out one-fifth of the world’s
population. More than a billion people would die.
To the secular world, it seems no one is in control.Page 2 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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Non-believers are becoming co nvinced there are no soluti ons left, that everything
is spinning into chaos because there is no “all-seeing governance.” But God’s
people know differently. We know there is no reason to fear , because the Bible
reminds us again and agai n the Lord has everything under control. Nothing
happens in the world without his knowledge and governance.
The Psalmist writes, “The kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the
nations” (Psalm 22:28).Likewise, the prophe t Isaiah declares to the world, “Come
near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is
therein” (Isaiah 34:1 ). He’s saying, “Listen, nations, and give me your ear. I want to
tell you something important about the Creator of the world.”
Isaiah states that when God’s indignat ion is aroused against nations and their
armies, it is the Lord himself who delivers them to slaughter. “Behold, the nations
are as a drop of a bucket, and are counte d as the small dust of the balance…All
nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than
nothing…It is he [God] that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the
inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers …To whom then will ye liken me?” (Isaiah
40:15, 17, 22, 25).
Isaiah then speaks to God’s people, who are battered and troubled by world
events. He counsels, “Look up to the sky, to the glorious heavens. Behold the
millions of stars placed there. Your God created and named every one. Are you not
more precious to him than they are? So, fear not.”
We are to know there is a map in heaven, a plan that our Father has outlined for
the course of history. And he knows th e end from the beginning. As this plan
comes to fruition, especially in calamitous times like these, I believe we are to ask
ourselves this question: “Where is the Lord’s eye focused in all this?”
God’s eye is not focused on the world’s tin-god dictators or their threats.Page 3 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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Scripture assures us these wild men’s bo mbs, armies and powers are as nothing
to the Lord. He laughs at them as mere specks of dust, and soon he will blow them
all away. Consider Isaiah 40:22–24: “It is he…that bringeth the princes to nothing;
he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea,
they shall not be sown…He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and
the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.”
Isaiah is telling us, “No s ooner are these ‘seeds’ plan ted and take root in the
ground, than God blows on them and they wither. The wicked rulers of the earth
are caught up in his whirlwind and swep t away as chaff. He reduces them to
nothing.”
In my own lifetime, I have seen such tyra nts “blown away” like chaff. I remember
as a child, riding alongside my father in the car when the mu sic on the radio was
interrupted by a shocking news report: “Pearl Harbor has just been bombed by
the Japanese. Much of the naval fleet has been destroyed, with hundreds killed.”
My father thought, “This is it. It’s the end, as we have been prophesying.”
Overnight, the entire Americ an landscape changed, even in our little Pennsylvania
town. Mandatory blackouts and emergenc y sirens became a regular part of our
lives. It was a terrifying time, as war had spread throughout the whole world.
Soon after that, the Far East was in flames across the Pacific islands. Hundreds of
thousands of soldiers would die in grueling battles and prison camps. Meanwhile,
a mad, demon-possessed dictator named Hi tler ravaged nations on the other side
of the globe. He seemed unstoppable as he invaded and took over countries in
Europe. When his Nazi regime dropped bombs on powerful Great Britain, the
world looked on in terror. And in his de monic craze, he ordered European Jews
rounded up and imprisoned, then gassed and cremated them by the millions.Page 4 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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In Russia, another insane dictator had be gun systematically killing millions of his
own countrymen. Stalin was a sadist ic madman, and communism became a
mighty force under his iron rule.
Then one day came the most fearful news ever heard by humankind: an atomic
bomb had been dropped. Much of the J apanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
vanished in a moment’s ti me, as the A-bomb wiped out multitudes. The world
knew then that something absolutely dr eadful had been unleashed on the earth.
Soon afterward, Japan’s dictator, Hiro hito, stood on board a ship — his head
bowed in disgrace — and signed document s of surrender. In Eu rope, with Allied
forces closing in, Hitler committed suicid e in a fiery underground bunker. When
his remains were found, nothing was left bu t ashes. In Russia, Stalin also suffered
a wretched death.
Today, the world sees another demonled dictator, Saddam Hussein, being blown
away like chaff. The man who once terrorized his own countrymen and
threatened the Arab region now sits awai ting judgment. He m ay face execution in
a very short time.
How are we to view these tyrants, vicious leaders who cause panic all over the earth?
Ultimately, we see them through the lens of Scripture, and how true are these
words: “The Lord blows on them, and they are carried away with the whirlwind.”
Jesus also tells us what we’re to do when we begin to see up heaval in the world:
“There shall be signs in th e sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the
earth distress of nations, with perplexi ty; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s
hearts failing them for fear, and for lookin g after those things which are coming on
the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.Page 5 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud wi th power and great
glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your
heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:25–28).
Notice Christ says, “When you begin to see these things happen, then look up, lift
your heads.” This suggests things are going to get worse and become more
intense. Therefore, now is the time to set our hearts — to draw near to the Lord —
and get grounded in his hope. We’re to an chor our faith in his Word, and grow in
solid, unwavering faith.
What is the faith we’re to stand on? It is that the devil can’t hurt us. The most
chaotic news can’t hurt us. All demon-led dictators are going to blow away like
chaff, and we’re going to see Christ coming in his glory. This is what allows us to
say in evil times, “Live or die, I am th e Lord’s. He is sovereign over all that’s
happening.”
In the midst of this worldwide “shaking of all things,” where is the Lord’s eye focused?
What is God’s great concern in all of this? Is it on the events in the Middle East? No.
The Bible tells us God’s vision is trained on his children: “Behold, the eye of the
Lord is upon them that fear him, upon th em that hope in his mercy” (Psalm 33:18).
Our Lord is aware of every mov e on the earth, by every living thing. And yet his
gaze is focused primarily on the well being of his children. He fixes his eyes on the
pains and needs of each member of his spir itual body. Simply put, whatever hurts
us concerns him.
To prove this to us, Jesus said, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not
able to kill the soul: but ra ther fear him which is able to destroy both soul and
body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Even in the midst of great world wars, God’s
primary focus isn’t on the tyrants. His focus is on every circumstance, every detail,
in his children’s lives.Page 6 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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Christ says in the very next verse: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And
one of them shall not fall on the ground wi thout your Father” (1 0:29). In Christ’s
day, sparrows were the meat of the poor, sold two for a penny. On the streets, bird
catchers could be seen carrying baskets full of snared sparrows. Yet, Jesus said,
“Not one of these small creatures falls to the ground without your Father knowing
it.”
According to Bible commentator William Barc lay, Jesus’ word “fall” in this verse
signifies more than the bird’s death. Th e Aramaic meaning is “to light upon the
ground.” In other words, “fall” here indi cates every little wounded hop a tiny bird
makes.
Christ is telling us, in essence, “Your Fath er’s eye is on the sparrow, not just when
it dies but even when it lights upon the gr ound. As a sparrow learns to fly, it falls
from the nest and begins to hop along the ground. And God sees every little
struggle it has. He’s concerned over every detail of its life.”
Jesus then adds, “Fear ye not therefor e, ye are of more value than many
sparrows” (10:31). Indeed, he says, “The very hairs of your head are all
numbered” (10:30). Simply put, the One who made and counted all the stars —
who monitored every action of the Roman Empire, who keeps the galaxies in their orbits — has his eye fixed on you. And, Jesus asks, “Are you not worth much more
to him?”
In spite of these glorious words from Christ, many Christians cling to doubts about God’s
concern for them in their times of crisis.
Isaiah cried, “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from
the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?” (Isaiah 40:27). God’s
people had accused him, “The Lord has overlooked my need. He isn’t answering
my prayer. God seems to have turn ed his eye away from my trial.”Page 7 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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I believe this is the cry of many hurting Christians to day. Our ministry receives
letters from precious believers who endure trials and sufferings that absolutely
stagger the mind. Let me give you a pr ofound example, from a godly pastor who
has faced an incredible barrage of trials th at seem too painful for anyone to bear.
It began a few years ago, when the pastor laid his five-month-old grandson beside
him in bed. He and his wife were babysi tting the boy for their daughter, who was
at work. The boy was a healthy child and the jewel of his grandpa’s eye. But hours
later the pastor woke to find his gran dson dead of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome).
The pastor’s daughter — the mother of the dead boy — couldn’t handle the grief
of losing her son. A year later, she a ttempted suicide by a drug overdose. She
survived the attempt but was left severely brain damaged. Now the pastor and his
wife are their daughter’s full-time caregi vers, tending to her needs around the
clock.
Then, a year or so later, the pastor’s youngest son was accused of two murders.
One was the killing of a pusher who had supplied the young man’s sister with
drugs. That son now sits in prison, awai ting trial and facing the death penalty.
As these agonizing trials mounted, the pastor faced a crisis hour. It came the week
before Christmas. This man was in such pai n that he retreated to his study, where
he wept pitifully while clutchin g a picture of his dead grandson.
There is more to this story, but I want to stop here to focus on the unbelievable
pain of this servant of God.
Try to picture this man, hurting so badly and weeping in his hour of pain.Page 8 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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I can’t imagine what that pastor was go ing through. He had lost his precious
grandson, his daughter was brain-damage d, and now his son was awaiting a
death sentence. All he could think was, “Lord, this pain is way over my head. I don’t know how to go on.”
I ask you: Where was God’s eye focused at that moment? Was he busy elsewhere,
taking care of a world gone mad? Was he preoccupied with the fear-inducing
events taking place? Or, do you think it impossible that God’s eyes were fixed on
the hurt and confusion in this one righte ous man? The Psalmist gives the answer:
“The eyes of the Lord are upon the righte ous, and his ears are open unto their
cry” (Psalm 34:15).
Imagine, for a moment, a tree outside the wi ndow of that pastor’s study. In that
tree is a bird’s nest, where a tiny sparrow is trying out its wings, beginning to learn
to fly. As the little bird leaps out of th e nest and falls to the ground, God takes
notice of it.
Now, if you looked out that window an d saw this happen, te ll me: how could you
not believe God had also taken notice of this dear, weeping man’s pain? How
could you not believe God was touched by the feelings of his sufferings? How
could you not believe God was bottling his every tear, and had set in motion a way
for his servant to escape?
Now let me finish this suffering man’s story.
The pastor writes: “I can truthfully tell yo u, Jesus himself walk ed into my office
that day and sat before my desk. The Lord lovingly made me know I had two
choices: First, I could give up and quit the fight. If I did that, I could tell every
friend my troubles and my reason for qu itting, and they would understand. I was
free to make that choice, and Jesus would understand and still love me.Page 9 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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“Or, he told me, I could take courage and walk out to face the future because he
wasn’t finished with me yet. These were my two and only choices. This wasn’t
harshness on the Lord’s part. It wa s simply the only two choices I had.
“I chose to get up and go on. Before I walked out, I placed the picture of my
grandson in my desk drawer. That has been almost a year now. My battles are not
over, yet I know his hand is on me. He ca me to me in my pain and gave me the
courage to go on. And in spite of further testing, I’m continuing in the strength of his Word.”
Beloved, this man has an understanding of God’s love as never before in his
lifetime. He has laid on Jesus every pain , every grief, every worry — and trusted his
life to his plan.
I’m convinced that, most often, it is love that we need in our trials, and not
answers. Answers can only go so far when a person is overwhelmed by deep pain.
It is the governing love of our Father — and the loving hands of our brothers and
sisters, reaching out to us — that serve as his answer in our hardest times. We’re
not to measure our faith in such times, because we may not have much left. But
we can look and see a sparrow outside ou r window, and know we are the focus of
our Father’s love.
We’re living in the very days Jesus warned would come.
Christ described the last days as a time so troubling and frightful, “Men’s hearts
failing them for fear, and for looking afte r those things which are coming on the
earth…Upon the earth distress of nation s, with perplexity” (Luke 21:26, 25).
What did Jesus give us to prepare us for these calamities? What was his antidote
to the fear that was going to come?Page 10 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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He gave us the illustration  of our Father watching  the sparrow, of God numbering  
the very hairs on our heads. These illustrations  become even more meaningful  
when we consider the context in which Jesus gave them.
He told these illustrations  to his twelve disciples,  as he sent them out to 
evangelize  the cities and towns of Israel. He had just endowed  them with power to 
cast out demons and heal all manner of sickness and disease. Think of what an 
exciting moment that had to be for the disciples.  They were given power to work 
miracles and wonders!  But then came these fearful warnings  from their Master:
“You won’t have any money in your pocket. And you won’t have a home, not even 
a roof to sleep under. Instead, you’ll be called heretics and devils. You’ll be beaten 
in synagogues,  dragged before judges, thrown into prison. You’ll be hated and 
despised,  betrayed  and persecuted.  You’ll have to flee from city to city to avoid 
being stoned.”
Now picture these men wide-eyed  as they listen to Jesus. They must have been 
gripped with fear. I imagine them wondering,  “What kind of ministry is this? Is that 
what the future holds for me? This is the bleakest outlook on life I’ve ever heard.”
Yet, in this very same scene, Jesus told these beloved friends three times: “Fear 
not!” (Matthew  10:26, 28, 31). And he gave them the antidote to all fear: “The 
Father’s eye is always on the sparrow. How much more will it always be on you, 
his beloved ones?” (see 10:29).
Dear saint, here is a profound  truth we can lay hold of for the most tumultuous  
times. Jesus is saying, “When doubts flood in — when you’re at wits’ end, and you 
think no one sees what you’re going through — here is how to find rest and 
assurance.Page 11 of 1 4 His Eye Is on the Sparrow | World Challeng e
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“Look at the little birds outside your window. And run your fingers through your 
hair. Then remember  what I told you: these small creatures  are of immense  value 
to your Father. And your hairs are to remind you that you’re of much greater value 
to him. His eye is always on you. And he who sees and hears your every move is 
near.”
This is how our Father cares for us in hard times. He is aware of every detail of our 
lives — our family, our house, our finances,  our marriage  — and he is concerned  
over each aspect. We are not to fear! He has promised  to make a way of escape.ș
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