Jesus has startled me on more than once occasion, but he likely maxed that out with “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” OK, no jokes about me making God’s job easier. The first pic shows me at 27, with a red tank top and a full head of hair. The second shows me this year, how I’ve “gained face” over the years. Yeah, the times they have changed me. And while I don’t doubt that Jesus meant this literally, it also serves as a greater metaphor: with two primary facets.
First, God knows about the smallest details of life. The longer passage affirms that, “Are not two sparrows --sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). The most common bird, a sparrow, then worth half a cent each, never dies without God knowing. We cannot share that knowledge about the smallest forms of life, but what does that tell us about God’s omniscience? Now, if he knows about a sparrow, how about a black hole in a far away galaxy. Can we begin to comprehend such a God?
This amazes me. Jesus then threw in that God also knows how many hairs we have on our heads (likely, not to exclude the rest of our bodies 😉). And he adds a second quality to knowledge. He not only counts our hairs, knows the smallest details of our lives, but he cares for us and the small issues of our lives far more than he cares for sparrows.
Ponder the implications with me. With these above principles in mind, can God not know our darkest secrets? Our hidden sins? Our greedy thoughts? He continues to care about us. All the details. As we are. His care includes our moving upward. Gaining the best connection with him. Sharing in his character traits. Accepting his values. Working to accomplish his goals so we impact the lives of others. He loves us as we are, but too much to leave us as we are.
So, here’s a tip, a memory aid. The next time you brush or comb your hair. The next time you pull a fallen hair off your clothing. Remind yourself that God is there, along with the hair. A God who knows you fully with all the small issues, a God who loves you fully, with all the small issues. Just let him do his work in you.
Kick Starting the Application
What most keeps you from thinking God knows about the smallest details of your life? Did this post influence that? How can you blend grace and obedience more effectively, with these facets of God in mind? Will you try the hair memory aid for a week, as you try to better weave God into every aspect of your life? Do you have another memory trick you could suggest?