Luke 12:3-7 His Eye is on the Sparrow
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: September 9, 2018 Luke 12:3-7
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
(Understanding the Text) After warning against hypocrisy, especially that of the Pharisees, Jesus then tells His disciples, and probably the people crowding around, not to fear humans, only God. He tells them that the worst that humans can do is to kill them. (I think torture and kill, but the point is still the same.) Jesus is saying not to fear what is done to your body here on earth. Why? Because this body is already full of death and will die sooner or later, but we will receive a second body that is full of life and will not die. However, this will only happen if God transforms us. Thus, our respect, fear, awe, and obedience should be to the one who can choose to let us disappear forever into oblivion.
(Revelation of God) The words for “cast into hell” here are to throw into Gehenna. In other words, to throw into the trash heap. Jesus is saying that the God of heaven has the power to keep us alive or discard us as trash not worth keeping. If Jesus had stopped there, this would paint a very dark picture of the Father as one to be obeyed out of fear. However, Jesus goes on to say that the Father values us and knows us. He does not want to throw us out. He values us more than birds or other animals. He knows everything about us even to how many hairs we have on our heads. The Father knows us down to the smallest nucleus and other cell part, yet knowing even our darkest secrets, He still values us.
Thus, Jesus says don’t fear Satan and his minions on earth. If you are going to fear, you should fear the One who has total power and control. However, you do not have to fear Him because you are His own and He wants you. He values you more than the other creatures of earth. He will not forget you. He knows you down to the smallest darkest part of you. He even knows how many hairs you have. Details that you don’t care about for yourself, He cares about. He knows you and He values you. He will not forget you or lose who you are.
Who will be cast out into the dump as trash? Those who refuse to connect to God so that He can save them.
This also tells us that God values the natural world. He keeps track of the earth and the creatures of the earth. He has to be sad about the damage that happens daily to His creation and creatures. He knows how many ants are in an anthill. He knows all the shades of colors that are present in a peacock or a bird of paradise or a sparrow. Every leaf is in His mind. The day will come when God sheds the memory of death from Himself. In that day, He wants to save everyone and everything that He can, so He became human in order that He could save us. There is nothing to fear in such a God, and yet there is everything to fear if we do not trust Him to remember us in that day.
(Application / Prayer) My application to myself is that I need to trust that God loves me and knows me and values me. I am worth more than I believe to Him. I need to have faith that God loves me. In addition, I need to have faith that He knows, values, and loves those around me. I find it difficult to trust that You love me because of my past experiences of being unloved. Help me to trust You and to love You in return without fearing to be hurt by You.