His Eye is on the Sparrow

God is in this Story

The next entry for my Blog is God is in this Story, which was written by Jeff Pardo, Ethan Gregory Hulse, and Katy Nichole. The song was initially released June 10,2022. A link to Katy Nicole and Big Daddy Weave performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

God is in this Story

There’s torn up pages in this book
Words that tell me I’m no good
Chapters that defined me for so long
But the hands of grace and endless love
Dusted off and picked me up
Told my heart that hope is never gone

God is in this story
God is in the details
Even in the broken parts
He holds my heart, He never fails
When I’m at my weakest
I will trust in Jesus
Always in the highs and lows
The One who goes before me
God is in this story

So if the storm you’re walking through
Feels like it’s too much and you
Wonder if He even cares at all
Well, hold on tight to what you know
He promised He won’t let you go
Your song of healing’s written in His scars

If it reads like addiction
If it reads like disease
He’s the One who frees the prisoner
He’s the healer of all things
If it reads like depression
If it reads broken home
He’s the One who holds your sorrow
He won’t leave you here alone

Always in the highs and lows
The One who goes before me
God is in this story (you’re in this story)
God is in my story (right here in my story)

Have you ever really stopped and thought about everything that has gone on in your life? I know that many of us refer to a chapter in our life or reflect on the many experiences we have had over the years. Suppose all of this was documented in a book, what story would it tell? What would be the theme of your life story? How does each chapter begin and end and what caused you to fail or succeed in each chapter? I believe this song encourages each of us to take the time and answer these questions.

The song starts out by referring to torn pages. When I see this, it makes me think of books where the pages have been dog-eared, high-lighted, and perhaps torn at times. The cover is probably torn as well. These are indicators of constantly referring back to the same pages over and over again. In our lives, don’t we often seem to be caught in a roundabout? Maybe it is a series of bad relationships, choosing the wrong friends, difficulty in the work place, poor decisions, or just that we can’t seem to escape the situations we get into. These reoccurring events in our lives are the worn out pages in our story. We become so defined by our past, that we really don’t focus on what we could be and how we could turn around our lives. The end result is we spend too much time dwelling on our past instead of focusing on how to get out of our rut and becoming who God wants us to be.

The good news is that Christ is always there to pick us up whenever we decide to accept his outstretched hands. He knows the stories of our past, because he was with us every chapter in our story. Not only does Christ know the chapters, but he also knows the most intimate details of every chapter; most importantly he knows how our story ends. Jesus was always there with his outstretched hands that we did not accept because we either forgot him or decided we didn’t need him. We may think we are lost forever, but Christ is always there to love us; no matter what we have done wrong or how many times we have made mistakes. His love never fails and he never gives up on us. We are told in Matthew 28:31 to give all of our burdens to him. “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Once we adhere to and accept this verse, we can move on to the next chapter in our life.

As you enter into that next storm thinking you are alone and that no one cares about you, take the hands that Christ has extended to you and feel his arms around you. He promised to never ever let us go. It is at this time that you will realize that you are not alone, have never been alone, and can start focusing on tomorrow instead of repeating yesterday. Feel the comfort in his love and the nail scarred hands that he has because of each of us. As we face addiction, sickness, depression, rejection; know that you never face these alone and walking with Christ will keep these events from being the dog-eared chapters in your life. It doesn’t mean our lives will be easy and that we will not stumble, but we will never be alone when we realize that God is in our story. The good news is that he is with us even before our story begins and stays with us until the last chapter is complete. 1 John 5:4 tells us that God has overcome the world and with our faith in him, we too shall have final victory and spend eternity with him. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Put your faith in Jesus and make him an integral part of your story.

Click to Hear Katy Nicole and Big Daddy Weave Sing God is in this Story

The Commission

The next entry for my Blog is The Commission, which was written by David Neesmith, Carter Frodge, Madison Cain, Taylor Cain, and Logan Cain. The song was initially released December 11, 2021. A link to Cain performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

The Commission

See my hands and look at my feet
It’s okay if it’s hard to believe
I have faith you will do greater things
It’s my time to go but before I leave

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

Don’t forget the things that I taught you
I’ve conquered death and I hold the keys
Where I go you will go too, someday
But there’s much to do here before you leave

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the

End of the journey, the end of the road
My spirit is with you wherever you go
You have a purpose and I have a plan
I’ll make you this promise
I’ll come back again but until then

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

go tell them about me
(Go tell the world) I’ve gotta go
(Go tell the world) for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

I write a lot of Blog entries focused on becoming a Christian and what Christ can do in our lives, but have never really written much about what Christ expects of each of us who have accepted him as our personal savior. I believe this song provides definition around Christ’s expectations of us.

The very first line has us drawing our attention to the sacrifice Christ made for us, he was nailed to the cross and died for our sins. He knows that it is perfectly normal, as human beings, to doubt that it would be Christ standing in front of any of us. He then makes an amazing statement, he who has conquered death says, “I know you will do even greater things.” Wow, stop and give that some thought! My first thought is, you have to be kidding, how can any of us possibly accomplish more than Christ?

The simple statement that follows, in the first line of the chorus, is to basically tell the world about him. He is asking us to essentially tell his story since he will be leaving them, but he did promise to return again one day, so it was more of “I will see you later” as opposed to “this is good bye.” This is the same commission Christ gives all of us in Matthew 28:16-20. ¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”.

He doesn’t just ask us to go out into the world without preparation. To be successful in our task, we are firstly told to focus on the things Christ has taught us. Each of us needs to take a quiet time and reflect upon everything we have been taught via his teachings. How we should love everyone, how we should pray for everyone, that we should never be ashamed of his teachings, and that we proclaim his word wherever we go. Many of these things he has commanded us to do will take us outside of our comfort zone. Take a minute or two and reflect on these things we are told to do and assess your willingness to follow through on his commands for us.

A strong encouragement he gives us is that he conquered death and he now holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Those that accept him as their Lord and Savior will join him one day. Jesus knows there is a lot for each of us to do as we try to reach the world around us, but he died for our eternal life, so I don’t think it is an unfair request.

Jesus tells them his time on earth is done, but he leaves us with the Holy Spirit, which dwells in every believer, to guide and comfort us. In John 14:26, we find this promise, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Another point of note is that we are all given a purpose, but only he knows the plan. For these who believe they know all of God’s plans for them are terribly mistaken, we all want to operate within God’s plan since that is the only valid and successful plan. Jeremiah 26:4 tells us, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jesus promised eternal life to all of those who accept him as their personal Savior, and he also promised that he would return to the earth one day. We do not know the day of his return, but we all need to work on the commission he has laid out before us. We want to work on The Commission until he takes us home. When we are finally called to our eternal home, wouldn’t it be great to hear our Savior say, “well done my good and faithful servant?”

Click to Hear Cain Sing Great Commission

Hold On To Me

The next entry for my Blog is Hold On To Me, which was written by Lauren Daigle, Paul Brendon Mabury, and Paul Duncan. The song was initially released in 2021. A link to Lauren Daigle performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Hold On To Me

When the best of me is barely breathin’
When I’m not somebody I believe in
Hold on to me

When I miss the light the night has stolen
When I’m slammin’ all the doors You’ve opened
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You
When I am sure I have reached the end
Hold on to me when I forget I need You
When I let go, hold me again

When I don’t feel like I’m worth defending
When I’m tired of all my pretending
Hold on to me

When I start to break in desperation
Underneath the weight of expectation
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You (I’ll hold on)
When I am sure I have reached the end
Hold on to me when I forget I need You (I’ll hold on)
When I let go, hold me again

I could rest here in Your arms forever
‘Cause I know nobody loves me better
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Have you ever gotten the feeling that all you do every day is fight one battle after another just to survive in this world? The battles may be associated with just putting food on the table, dealing with family issues, health, or external influences that just sap all of your energy. You fight these battles every single day and eventually reach the point where you have nothing else to give and all of your emotional and physical strength is gone. You are no longer the person you used to be and are ready to just throw up your hands and say I quit. The person you are ceases to exist in your mind, the world has defeated you, and you cry out to God to hold on to you and not give up on you. Despite where you are in your life, you can still know that God is always there and his arms are always open for you.

When we find ourselves in this situation, we sometimes become focused solely on the negative issues in our lives and view everything that goes on around us with a negative perspective. We do not even try to look for the positive. Many times, windows of light and doors are being opened right in front of us, and we disregard them since we are lost in the morass of darkness we are living in. Our friends try to talk to us and cheer us up, but we just ignore them; we have the attitude of “they just don’t understand.”

The chorus is a desperate plea for help. We may have reached a point where we are just ready to leave this world via suicide or perhaps give into the call of drugs that give us short term relief before a final addiction ends our life. The plea to God is that even though I have forgotten you, please wrap your arms around me and never let me go. In the book of Deuteronomy 31:8, we find these words, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

As we start to question the value of our life, maybe we have the attitude of “why bother” and why should my friends continue to try and bring me out of this deep hole, I am just not worth the wasted effort. We just feel as if we are putting up a façade to everyone else, but fading away and giving up on the inside. We can no longer handle the weight of the burdens as we try to carry them alone nor can we meet the expectations of all of those around us. The good news is that our savior is there to help us with your heavy load. We are told in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. “

I really like the way she closes out this song; because at the end she has once again found peace, comfort, and love; all coming from our heavenly father. She recognizes that her focus should only be on him since he is the only one who can solve our problems and loves us more than anyone else ever could. The great news for us, is not only does God love us, but has a plan for us! This comfort is found in the book of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future”. We need to try and remember to look to God first as opposed to viewing him as our last hope.

Click to hear Lauren Daigle Sing Hold On To Me

The next song for my Blog is a gospel hymn that was written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. A link to B J Thomas performing the song in 1981 is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

His Eye is on The Sparrow

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for heaven and home?
When Jesus is my portion
My constant friend is He

His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
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

Whenever I am tempted
Whenever clouds arise
When songs give place to sighing
When hope within me dies
I draw then closer to Him
From care He sets me free

His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
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
For his eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me

I believe we all have a tendency at times to have that ‘down in the dumps’ feeling. Sometimes we know what is causing us to have that feeling, other times it just seems to happen. The net result is we just aren’t happy. We probably get discouraged about something almost every day. As that discouragement takes control, we feel darkness around us as well as inside of us, and we feel alone. It doesn’t matter if we are surrounded by people on a bright and sunny day, we are in our own silent dark cocoon. Many times, we may just call out for God to take us home to be with him in our heavenly home and just leave this world behind. These are the times when we need to take inventory of what is happening in our lives and where our hope of getting us out of the dumps resides.

It is during these times when we have forgotten about our comforter. A portion is a part of a larger whole, Jesus is the portion of God who gave his life for us. We need nothing else but Jesus to secure eternity in heaven. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is with us always. There is always a portion of him inside of us, there is always a portion of light inside of us, and the love of Jesus, the friend who will never desert us, is inside of us as well. Everything we need to conquer the ‘down in the dumps’ is inside of us, we just have to reach for it.

God watches over all of his creations and Matthew 6:25-26 lets us know how God watches over some of the smaller of his creations. So, if God is going to this effort for the birds, won’t he do the same for us, the beings created in his image? This should be our signal that everything is really going to be alright, we just need to put our faith and trust in the right place.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25-26

Instead of hanging out at our personal dumpster, we should feel happy and free knowing we have a father who loves us and is saving a spot in his eternal home for us. We should be singing at the tops of our voices with a heart full of hope. Wouldn’t it be great to be singing and someone come up to us and ask why we are so happy? What an opportunity for sharing the love of Christ.

There are other times we are tempted by sin to do something we shouldn’t do. I am of the opinion that we know when we are getting ready to do something we shouldn’t be doing, when we know we are going against the will of God. As we start focusing on this temptation, we start falling under the dark clouds again. Maybe we physically committed the sin, or maybe we committed the sin in our mind; either way we know we are putting ourselves in an emotionally bad spot. The songs we were singing out loud or in our hearts have disappeared as we once again let the pressures of the world overwhelm us. Once again, we have let Satan just suck the life and hope out of us. But deep in our heart and soul, we eventually connect with our best friend Jesus once again. Satan and this world can try to hide Jesus from us and we let him, but Jesus is always there to hold our hand and put his arms around us and set us free from the darkness around us. We just need to call upon him.

We then remember once again how he loves us so much and of what he has done for us and what he will continue to do for us. Our heart and our voice raise once again because we have trusted in him for the happiness and freedom from this world that only he can provide.
I am glad that he loves those birds so much and even happier that he loved me enough to die for me and wants me to spend eternity with him. Knowing this and keeping my heart on Jesus should make me sing with joy at all times, even more so than the bird who has gained freedom from its cage.

Aren’t you glad his eye is on the sparrow? Think about this next time you hear the birds singing unashamedly.

Click here to hear B J Thomas singing His Eye is on the Sparrow