Isaiah 40:31

Devotional Thoughts

Our Lord is aware of every move on the earth, by every living thing. 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 spiritual body. Simply put, whatever hurts us concerns him.

To prove this to us, Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28 NKJV). 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.

Christ says in the very next verse: “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will” (10:29). 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 Barclay, Jesus’ word “fall” in this verse signifies more than the bird’s death. The Aramaic meaning is “to light upon the ground.” In other words, “fall” here indicates every little wounded hop a tiny bird makes.

Christ is telling us, in essence, “Your Father’s eye is on the sparrow, not just when it dies but even when it lights upon the ground. 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, “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (10:31). Indeed, he says, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered” (10:30). The one who made and counted all the stars, who monitored every action of the Roman Empire and who keeps the galaxies in their orbits, has his eye fixed on you. Jesus asks, “Are you not worth much more to him?”