42 DO NOT FEAR. Luke 12;6

In teaching us how to live, Jesus used birds and particularly sparrows to illustrate His points. A worthless sparrow.!! “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?” He asked. You might think that’s a weird thing to say, but not in that society. There were people who sat on the side of the road with a little burner and sold food, much the same as McDonald’s, K.F.C, etc. do today (We’ve just improved the technique) They would catch sparrows, wring their necks and remove the feathers, put the birds on a stick, cover them in spicy herbs and roast them over a flame then sell them to the passers-by 2 for 1 copper coin, but if you bought 4 he would throw in an extra one free. Hence 5 for 2 copper coins .The vendor threw in the fifth sparrow free, that meant it was worthless Interesting isn’t it? !! So when Jesus said “Are not 2 sparrows sold for a copper coin, He was saying something very important. His next words were “And not one of them is forgotten before God.” He was saying, If God doesn’t forget one worthless sparrow, how could He possibly forget you. Not one of you is worthless before God. (Nobody is a nobody in God’s eyes) This was one of the earliest recorded words in the ministry of Jesus and it was to express the value and love of the Father for His children. In a subjected and class-driven society as it was in Judea at that time, women, the poor and destitute were all of no value at all in earthly terms, just like the fifth sparrow. So what was the point Christ was making, You are valuable in God’s eyes.!! Now, do you feel like... if you weren’t around no one would miss you... or do you feel like your life means nothing?... You’d be surprised how many people, even high-profile people, struggle with a sense of inferiority, inadequacy and worthlessness, When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, he explained to God that he was afraid of people, So God said in (Jeremiah 1;8) “Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you”. When you feel worthless, you conclude that others feel the same way about you as you do about yourself, so you begin to approach them fearfully or aggressively or even resentfully. What’s the answer?... Remembering what you are worth in God’s eyes! In His eyes there is no rejection, class system, or ethnicity. In His love there is complete acceptance. You are connected, you have a friend in high places. In (John 15:15) Jesus Himself said “I have called you friends”. Will everyone accept you? No,! But when you base your worth on God’s love and acceptance, you are free to enjoy life to the fullest. The psalmist wrote “ I am like a sparrow alone on a housetop.” Has your nest been torn apart by a storm? Have you lost your mate? Jesus can relate to such things, His disciples didn’t understand His needs, they were too busy arguing as to which one of them would be the greatest in the Kingdom, they failed to pray with Him in His most difficult moments. On the Cross He cried out, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me.” (Matthew 27;46) Loneliness can be devastating to your self worth. Don’t allow yourself to wallow in that sort of negativity, Turn to Jesus, He loves you so much that He believes you were worth dying for. Regardless of what anyone says to you or about you. That’s what you are worth “The death of the Son of God”. No one could do more for you than He did. Think about it.!!! Young people often wonder if they will ever find the right person to marry. Others fear ending life all alone. Hear this, the same God who knew that Adam was incomplete, not only created Eve for him, but He also introduced them to each other and brought them together and He can do the same for you. So if you are widowed divorced or never married and want to find someone to share your life with, don’t be anxious, God says in (Revelation 2;13) “I know where you dwell” God knows your name, address, phone number and every detail about you, and He cares much more than you can ever imagine. There’s another thought here which needs consideration, Sometimes, loneliness is not the absence of affection, but the absence of direction, it’s not always the absence of people, but the absence of purpose. So begin to reach out to others. Find a need that no one is meeting, pour your life into it and watch how things begin to improve for you. I remember the TV series “Lost” It was about a plane crash-landing on a remote island and the survivors rebuilding their lives amidst the wreckage. The secret of the success of the show was that we could all relate to it. We have all lost marriages, businesses, homes, self-worth, security and a lot of other things. But Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19;10) Unlike us Jesus didn’t see people as “good “ or “bad” but as “Lost” He knew they had lost their way, lost their values, lost their relationships, lost their ability to cope, lost their faith and in some cases lost their reason to live. And He sought them out; Like the woman at the well with five divorces and a live-in boyfriend, Like the man who lay at the pool of Bethesda, chronically ill, noticed by no one, like Mary, who wept at the tomb of the one she loved most. If you are lost today you can go to Jesus and have a personal audience with the Son of God. He is waiting for you and me to come and empty ourselves before Him, He alone can be our Saviour.“The sparrow has found a home where she may lay her young –even your altars, Oh Lord of Hosts...Blessed are those who dwell in Your house they will still be praising You”. (Psalm 84;3-4 ) ‘Today you can come home to God’ You can build your nest and raise your family in the shelter of His protection. You can feel safe with Him. As you bow in worship, He will lift you up and make you feel valuable again. He will deliver you from the fear of rejection and loneliness. You see, we can’t hide from God, but we can hide IN Him. Thank you for reading my thoughts on “How not to fear”, It’s all a matter of keeping God on the throne of our Hearts, it’s from there he will direct the paths of our lives…..Praise the name of Jesus Christ. Phaline.