Peace From God's Love

This post is by Jen Kokal.

“What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” – Matthew 10:29 (NLT) 

“Jen, will you please go outside and take pictures of the damage around the pond? I want to send them to a guy I know who can fix it.”

“Fine,” I sighed. I was tired and wanted to relax, but I didn’t feel like starting an argument with my husband - though I secretly mused that he could go take the pictures himself. I begrudgingly put on my boots, went outside, and began taking pictures of our overflowed pond caused by  rain the night before. As I was snapping away, I heard something below my feet. A large tadpole had washed ashore and was flopping around in a tiny puddle.

“Oh, no! Poor little thing!”

I squatted down to help it. Immediately, I noticed dozens more tadpoles floundering in our yard due to the flooding. But then, something even more jarring caught my attention: a small minnow struggled in a shallow puddle that barely covered it. Panicking, I called my husband.

“You need to get out here and bring some gloves and a bucket and hurry!” I yelled.

Fast forward two hours later, my husband and I had collected three buckets of live minnows, tadpoles, and at least one bluegill that had gotten carried into our yard from the flood. Our backs ached, our knees hurt, but we didn’t give up until we had collected every last creature we saw and returned them to the pond.

As we walked back to the house, my husband thanked me.

“Jen, thanks for going outside. If I had gone out to take the pictures, I don’t think I would have noticed all those fish. I would have been too stressed with the damage the flood caused to notice much else.”

Suddenly, I remembered the famous verse from Matthew: “What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.”

You see, God had prompted me to go outside. He knew I would find those little creatures and save them. The experience gave me such a strong reminder that God cares about every single thing living on this earth. Even tiny minnows that have such a short lifespan are precious in God’s eyes. So then, how much more precious are we in the sight of God?

Jesus said in Matthew 10:30-31, “And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” (NLT)

Right now, we are living in a volatile time during the outbreak of COVID-19. There is a lot of fear and panic regarding the virus. But when we remember that God’s love for us is incomprehensible, the fear we experience vanishes. When we remember that God, the Almighty, Loving Father, has power and authority over disease, we are given peace.

Dear Reader, God sees you. He sees me. He even sees the little fish in the pond. He sees all the suffering in this world, and has compassion on all living things. He has given us a free gift: His Son who died for us to take our sins away so that we can have eternity with Him. Along with this gift comes a shower of peace that passes all understanding. All we have to do is ask for this peace, and our faithful God is willing to give it to us.

During this uncertain time, let’s focus on who God is. He is compassionate. He has all authority. He calls us not to be afraid. For if He knows about sparrows, minnows, and tiny tadpoles, He knows about you and your situation. You are extremely precious to Him, and He loves you more than you could ever fathom.

Philippians 4:7 (NLT) – “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Jenn Kokal is a part-time childcare worker, a worship leader, and writer for her personal blog, www.p40ministries.com. Jenn's passions include composing worship music, taking long prayer walks with her dog, and sharing about the love of God in her writing. She currently resides in Ohio with her husband of five years. 

Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash