1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,120 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, and thank you for listening to your 2 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: Daily Bible Verse, the podcast that examines one verse each 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: day to learn more about God and his will for us. 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jessica Vnrokel, and after the short word 5 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, we'll dive into today's Bible verse. Luke, 6 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: Chapter twelve, verse seven. Today's Bible Verses, Luke, Chapter twelve, 7 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: verse seven. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are 8 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,319 Speaker 1: all numbered. Don't be afraid you are worth more than 9 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: many sparrows. Have you ever found yourself in a group 10 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: and felt unseen? The conversations and laughter seem to include 11 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: everybody but you and your left feeling isolated, out of place. 12 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: Shared eye contact and smiles seem to happen to other 13 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: people but not to you. Acknowledgment takes place with other 14 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: people but not you. These moments stir up insecurities, especially 15 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: if we've experienced rejection before. Sometimes we might try too 16 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: hard to fit in through seeking attention or overcompensating because 17 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: we long to belong. Other times we shrink into the shadow, 18 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: half hoping someone will draw us out, but afraid they won't. 19 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: Both responses come from our desire to be noticed. And valued. 20 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: We desperately want to feel like we belong, and it's 21 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 1: easy to let our sense of worth depend on how 22 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: other people respond to us. A small smile or invitation 23 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: into a conversation can reassure us that we are seen. 24 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: In a noisy world full of distractions, it's common to 25 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: feel overlooked or insignificant, but Luke chapter twelve, verse seven, 26 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: and reminds us of truth that God's attention to us 27 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: is personal and constant. Today's passage comes from a series 28 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: of teachings by Jesus to a crowd of people gathered 29 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: around him. He met their physical needs, but was concerned 30 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: about their spiritual need for a savior. Jesus addresses the 31 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 1: listener's attitudes and challenging circumstances, like when they face hypocrisy 32 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: or persecution. He then shifts his teaching to assure us 33 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: of our immense value in God's eyes by contrasting us 34 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: with small and common little birds. Sparrows were considered of 35 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: little worth in Jesus's time. In some areas of the world, 36 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: they don't even migrate during the winter, but hop around 37 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 1: picking up seeds which fall from plants and bushes. These 38 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: little birds don't elicit in excitement the way the first 39 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: robin does in early spring. Yet God values them. He 40 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: sees them puffing out their feathers to warm themselves during 41 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: a cold winter's day. God notices and cares for each 42 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: one even when we ignore them. Jesus assures each person 43 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: who believes in him that their life is precious and 44 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: remembered by God. He encourages us not to be filled 45 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: with alarm even when life becomes hard or rejection causes 46 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: us to feel unseen. It's tempting to give into the 47 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: feeling that we are unseen, ignored, or forgotten, but it's 48 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: not true. We have a loving God who values each 49 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,119 Speaker 1: one of us, and he gives particular care to those 50 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: who love and obey him. He sees, cares for, and 51 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: values each of us. Let's revisit fear. Though there's an 52 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: unhealthy kind of fear that leads us down the wrong path. 53 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: It's the worrying about circumstances or dreading the unknown, or 54 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: believing God has forgotten us. And then there's the kind 55 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: of healthy fear which leads to life. This reverent, old 56 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: fear draws us closer to God, shapes our character and 57 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: fills us with confidence in His love and care for us. 58 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: The life giving fear is remaining in complete awe and 59 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: reverence for God's holiness and majesty. It inspires us to 60 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: walk with Him and to love him wholeheartedly. Living with 61 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: the correct view of a holy God brings us comfort 62 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:31,679 Speaker 1: and can cause us to rejoice in His love, his care, 63 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: his power to guide, protect, and provide for us. We 64 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: can rejoice in his steadfast love. God remembers everything about us. 65 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: He knows even how many hairs are on our heads. 66 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: Unlike scientists and other researchers, his knowledge is exact. Scientists 67 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: say that redheaded people have an average of ninety thousand hairs, 68 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 1: and dark headed people have an average of a one 69 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty thousand ENLiGHT headed people have an average 70 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,799 Speaker 1: of one hundred and forty five thousand hairs on their heads. 71 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: But God, he knows the exact number of hairs on 72 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: each of our heads. This detail illustrates how thoroughly He 73 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: knows and cares for us. Even when we may feel excluded, abandoned, 74 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: or forgotten by friends and family. We are so precious 75 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: to God. Wherever we are, we can hang on to 76 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: the truth found in Luke chapter twelve, verse seven. We 77 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: are remembered by God. He knows all the details of 78 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: our lives. We don't need to be afraid because God 79 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: values us more than the sparrow that falls to the ground. 80 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: We don't need to be fear being overlooked by him 81 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: because He sees us. Today's verse can encourage us in 82 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: our difficult time, and the sparrow can be our reminder. 83 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: These little birds are numerous and overlooked by many, yet 84 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: our God values you so much more than them. Be 85 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 1: encouraged to trust God today. He cares for you and 86 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: sees you, even when you feel unseen by those around you. 87 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: As a practical step, pause today when you notice a 88 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: sparrow and thank God for seeing you and valuing you. 89 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Heavenly Father, thank you so very much that 90 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: you care for us more than the sparrow. Lord, you 91 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: know the numbers on our head, even those hairs that 92 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: fall every day. That number changes, and yet you know us. Lord, 93 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: you care intimately for us. Lord, help us to trust 94 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: you today. Help us to remember that you value us 95 00:06:54,160 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: and you think that we are worth your love, sacrifice, 96 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:08,799 Speaker 1: and attention. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen MHM.