God knows

"What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." Matthew 10:29 NLT

“Curious Alaska: What happened to the man who went missing running Mount Marathon in 2012?" was the headline to an article on the Anchorage Daily News site earlier this week; an article that went on to beg the question, "Was there ever any sign of the Mount Marathon runner who vanished during the race several years ago?" referring to Micheal LeMaitre, an Anchorage man who went missing on July 4, 2012 while competing in Mount Marathon, the grueling footrace typically held on the Fourth of July each year. LeMaitre was running Mount Marathon for the first time when he disappeared. It was especially rainy, foggy and slick that day. The 66-year-old businessman and grandfather was last seen about three hours into the race, climbing just shy of the race’s turnaround point at an elevation of about 3,000 feet. “No clues. No trace. No trail,” an Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman said at the time. Nine years on, what happened to LeMaitre is still a mystery. 

And you know, as sad as this story is, there are thousands of people who go missing every single year; people that might not even be missed or sought after. Which makes knowing that God knows and cares about us all the more heart-warming and refreshing. In fact, God loves each and every one of us so much that the Bible tells us that even the very hairs on our head are numbered. Is that amazing or what? It also tells us that "not a single sparrow can fall to the ground" without our Father knowing it. And if He values the sparrow, whose worth is miniscule and minute in the eyes of the world, enough to know and care when one of them dies, we who "are more valuable to God than a flock of sparrows" can trust that He not only knows everything that is happening in our lives, but cares about us no matter how miniscule or meager our worth might be to the world. 

So if you're wondering if God knows or even cares about you today, take heart in knowing this my friend... if God personally attends the funeral of every single sparrow (even those that fall to the ground unnoticed), you can be sure that He loves you more than you could ever comprehend and cares about the death of every one of His own. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we are worthy and loved even when we feel invaluable and unloved. Lord, there are so lonely and hurting people in our world that are longing to be filled with this amazing love that only You can provide. Help us to understand that so we would more bold and willing to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth to provide the hope this world so desperately needs. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!