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“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29–31).

There is a large parking lot close to my house. I don’t know if it looks like a pond or what the attraction is, but large Canadian geese land there every spring and fall as they migrate. They spend their time eating bugs off the grass and being a bit of a nuisance. When I look up from the geese, I see little sparrows sitting on wires. They travel together, sit on wires together, then fly away as one.

In Matthew 10:29–31, Jesus is speaking to the crowd about not being afraid. He tells them to not be afraid of what others can do. They were experiencing difficult times because they believed in Jesus. Jesus needed them to understand that God cared for each one of them. God cares for you as well. Sparrows are small birds that seems unimportant. But God takes care of them. God sent Jesus to give us salvation. He cares for us even more than He cares for the sparrows. God cares when you are afraid, angry, lonely, hungry, happy, sad. God cares about you and every part of your life.

Talk to God about your fears, your thoughts, and even your joys. Then leave it up to Him to work in your life. Look for how God cares for you in the little and the big things. If you are having a hard time, try writing down the ways God has shown you that He cares.

My response:

» What good things are happening to me?

» What are the ways I am changing?

» Do I thank God for His care for me in all the areas of my life?

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Bethany’s eighth birthday had been wonderful. Her parents had given her a shiny new purple bicycle with purple and white streamers on the handlebars. It was exactly what she wanted! She knew it cost a lot of money. She had dreamed about that bicycle, admired it in the store, and hinted about it to her parents for several weeks. And now it was hers! She had spent the last hour outside riding it up and down their street. Finally, Mom called her in for bed.

As Bethany passed the kitchen on her way to bed, she saw the leftover chocolate cake sitting on the counter. “Mom, can I please have one more piece of birthday cake before bed?” Bethany asked.

“No, honey, it’s too late at night,” said Mom. ‘I’m afraid it will upset your stomach. You can have some tomorrow.”

Let’s pause the story right here. What do you think Bethany will do? She has several choices. She could burst into tears and tell Mom that she’s mean and never lets her have anything good. She could march off to her room pouting and slam the door. Or she could run to her mother, give her a hug, and thank her again for the bike.

Of course, it’s obvious to us that the last choice is the best one. Mom has already given Bethany a wonderful, expensive gift. She has only denied Bethany one small thing that wouldn’t be good for her anyway. How ungrateful Bethany would be if she forgot all about the bike and complained about that one small piece of cake that Mom said no to.

If you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior, God has provided you with the most wonderful, most expensive gift there is. Salvation is bought for us at the cost of Christ’s blood. It is the greatest of all gifts. God never says no to those who come to Him humbly seeking this great gift.

But sometimes God says no to the lesser things we want. He says no because He knows the thing we want would not be good for us. The best way to respond to God when this happens is to thank Him. Remember all that He has already given to you in Christ. Trust Him to give you only the best things in His perfect time and way.

God wants us to respond with thankfulness in every situation.

My Response:

» Have I thanked God today for His gift of salvation?

» How do I respond to God when He says no to me?

“And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18).

Judith’s mom keeps telling Judith, “Elizabeth is young. Be patient. She will grow up and understand that she can’t put everything into her mouth or pull so hard she rips papers.” It seemed to Judith that she was going to have to wait forever. But one day Elizabeth would grow up. All Judith had to do was be patient.

The Children of Israel experienced God’s patience on many occasions. The forty years they spent in the wilderness and the time of the judges are key examples of God waiting for His people to turn from their sin and back to Him.

We have examples of God’s patience with individuals too. Peter said some astonishing things while Jesus was walking on the earth. Some of the things Peter said earned him a rebuke (“criticism”) from Jesus. God was patient with Peter, who became one of the greatest preachers of his time.

Isaiah 30:18 says God is waiting for Israel to return to Him. There is a promise that goes with His waiting: He promises grace and mercy. Notice, too, that the end of the verse says that those who wait on the Lord are blessed.

Waiting is a part of trusting that God will show His mercy and grace as we wait for Him.

My response:

» Am I waiting for God to do His work?

» Am I trusting that God will show me His grace and mercy?

“Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” (Genesis 18:14).

One day the class somehow started a discussion on who was strongest. The fourth graders thought the best way to determine strength was by arm wrestling. An informal round robin tournament began. Of course, this test didn’t really show who was the strongest, because arm wrestling only tests the upper body strength.

We usually measure strength by determining someone’s physical power. Or sometimes we measure strength by a person’s personality or wealth. As strong as you may think you are, there is always someone who is stronger (or has a better personality or more money and things). It may be the kid two grades above you. It may be the kid that just moved into town.

When God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, it seemed impossible. Who ever heard of a ninety-year-old woman having a baby! God reminded them that nothing was too hard for Him. God has so much power that He can make the impossible possible. The Bible is full of examples when God alone did the impossible, examples like parting a sea, making a donkey talk, rescuing people from a fiery furnace, saving people from their sins, and creating the universe. Nothing is too hard for God.

God is limited only by what He chooses.

My response:

» Am I limiting God? Do I think something can’t be possible?

» Do I take the Bible seriously when it describes God as all-powerful? If so, how does that impact the way I pray and the amount of trust I put in God?

“Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:7).

Jeremy had a bad day at school. Nothing went his way. He dropped his food in the lunchroom, he got a D on his spelling test, and he tripped when he was playing in the gym. At home, Jeremy told his mom, “I don’t want to play baseball anymore! I’m not good at it, I’m already having a bad day.”

Jeremy’s mom asked him to go to the baseball game anyway, to support his team and his friends. After the team warmed up, the coach called the players in and led the team in prayer, asking God to help them show good sportsmanship. When the players took the field, Jeremy noticed that one of them had a prosthetic leg. Jeremy watched as the boy ran into the field and then tripped. The boy stood up again, smiling as he dusted the clay off of his jersey. As he watched this, Jeremy remembered how he had complained about his bad day earlier. Encouraged by the other boy’s spirit to continue despite his circumstances, Jeremy thought about the coach’s prayer and ran onto the field to join his team.

Sometimes it feels as if life isn’t fair and things just won’t go our way. When this happens, you might think it will be easier if you just give up. Instead of giving up, remember to pray to God and put your trust in Him.

If you ask God for help when you have a hard time, you inspire others to do the same thing.

My response:

» Do I give up when things don’t go my way?

» Do I ask for God’s guidance?