Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Orange Moon Tuesday, November 30, 2021 "Every Living Thing"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
   

"Every Living Thing"  

     I do not know what the Lord Jesus Christ meant by these words.

    "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing (half penny)?  And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father" (Matthew 10:29).

     Certainly, at the very least, our Lord meant that our Heavenly Father cares about all His creatures.  The Psalmist confirms such a heart of devotion.

    "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalm 145:9).
     
     "Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:16).
      
   Trillions of creatures have lived and died on the earth throughout its history.  In light of the sparrow mentioned above, are we to conclude our Father graces the passing of all creatures with some special administration of His presence?  It would seem so, since the Bible never exalts the importance of sparrows over other creatures God made.

   Again, I do not know what the Lord meant by His words.  I do know, however, the most strongly implied implication, namely, loving compassion.  "But Thou, o Lord, art a God full of compassion" (Psalm 86:15).  The book of Revelation declares that God created all things for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11).  He must therefore deeply grieve that sin brought necessary judgment on creation, and upon creatures who suffer for our sins rather than their own.  Indeed, things die on this planet because death entered the world through human beings (Romans 5:12).  The pristine holiness of God required such an earthly calamity in order to ensure the planet's ultimate redemption.  Still, how it must affect our Father's heart when a single sparrow falls not because of its own wrongs, but for those of others.

   I vividly recall digging the grave of our beloved beagle Sparrow (appropriately named for such a consideration), who died in January, 2020.  Tears first fell, and then a sense of rage arose within me as the thought occurred to me that Sparrow did not deserve her demise.  "It was my fault!" came the realization and rage.  Indeed, I belong to a race of beings whose sin digs the graves of every living thing that dies on the earth.  No creature of any other species falls due to their own wickedness.  All die because of Adam's sin, and lest we cast overmuch blame on our original forefather, let us recall we were in him when he distrusted and disobeyed God (I Corinthians 15:22).  I will always think of that sad day of Sparrow's passing, and of how the anger that accompanied sorrow seemed appropriate then, and still seems so now.

     Little wonder that no creature falls without their Creator drawing near.  What takes place when He graces the sparrow with His presence?  That is another question for which I have no answers.  Somewhere deep in the heart, however, a light seems to shine.  It brings no coherent explanation.  But it glimmers with the realization that whatever the Lord Jesus meant when He said that a sparrow does not fall without the Father, something sacred and wonderful surely takes place.  It is just like our God to grant us such assurance, because it is just like His heart to be all His creation and His creatures need Him to be.

"Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?  In whose hand is the soul of every living thing."
 (Job 12:10)

Weekly Memory Verse
    He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
 (John 7:38)






























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