Wedged between my siblings and trying to resist a giggle, I remember being in church as a kid as we sang hymns each Sunday. My grandmother’s hands move gracefully across the piano keys, and I stand there, quietly hoping the next hymn that she plays will be my favorite: His Eye Is on the Sparrow. The words of this hymn still ring true today…
I draw the closer to Him;
From care He sets me free:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
Its chorus often echoes in my mind right when I need to hear it. The promise that He is watching over me isn’t just a clever line, it is a truth anchored deeply in Scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to my remembrance often.
Luke 12:6-7 says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
My kids love these verses, too. They think it’s crazy that you can buy five birds for two pennies, and they are absolutely fascinated by the idea that someone knows the exact number of hairs on their heads! The first time I read these verses to them, my four-year-old immediately tried counting his own hair. Although he was very determined, he cannot count past twenty just yet, so he unfortunately didn’t get a final count.
Though I have also tried to count the hairs on my head, there is a deeper meaning to these verses. One of the truths the hymn and Scriptures teach us is that every believer’s life is cared for by God… more than many sparrows.
8 billion people in the world and God zooms in on us.
Hardships and sorrows take place all across the globe, and God chooses to get a close-up of the quiet battles that take place in our lives.
Accolades and recognition happen worldwide, and God rejoices over each of our sweet, small victories.
Noise and busyness fill daily schedules, and God leans into the mundane, quiet work that we are doing that nobody else may ever see.
If a single sparrow isn’t forgotten by God, then our decades of tearful prayers haven’t been forgotten by Him either. He is still listening and still moving. And if He is mindful enough to count the hairs on our head, He is certainly close enough to heal our pain and provide the unexplainable peace.
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
As we move through the week, cling to the truth that Jesus spoke to us. Write Luke 12:6-7 down and keep it in your line of sight—stick it to your dashboard or your fridge. Maybe even add His Eye is on the Sparrow to your playlist this week. Remember God as He remembers you.
Fast forward 30 years, as I now stand in the kitchen listening to the same hymn and recall the same truth that scripture proclaims… God is in our midst. He takes joy in us. He delights in us. He cares about us. More than many sparrows, Jesus assures us that our life is cared for and remembered by Him.
I sing because I’m happy—
I sing because I’m free—
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
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