Freedom, It’s for the Birds

            I was reminded recently of some of the minor controversies that centered around the founding of the United States of America. One of those controversies was in choosing our national symbol.  The two finalists were the bald eagle and the turkey.

  It was a great debate, and the eagle won, of course. The popular sentiment held that a bald eagle, soaring in the updrafts, was the pure picture of freedom. Nothing but the power of God in nature can stop that high flier in his flight. But, as some of you no doubt know, the eagle had its detractors. Ben Franklin couldn’t stand the bird. He called it a rapacious raptor and scrounger of the dead. Freedom deserved a better symbol than a ghoul of the wilderness. So he backed the turkey.

  And what a symbol of freedom the turkey is. A proud strutting bird, with its chest puffed out and tail flared. When a tom starts prancing in a glade, he lets out such an aura of authority. It makes you think that even a bear would back down to his bravado. Add to that the fact that turkey was also a great source of food, and his feathers also provided the writing implements to spread the news of liberty.

  We have lived with the eagle, the chosen national symbol of freedom, for about two hundred years now. I, however, want to put forth my own candidate: the sparrow.  It does not have the majestic soaring prowess of the eagle, and it is certainly no great bird to feast upon. But I state with all confidence that the sparrow is a true symbol of freedom, and freedom’s greatest gift: freedom from fear. I can cite a very reliable source on this.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will.” (Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:29)

  Sparrows are small, weak, and defenseless. They can only flit like dandelion fluff on the wind when threatened, but each and every one of them is precious enough in God’s heart and mind that He decides their birth and death. But where does the freedom from fear come?

We cite further: “But even the hairs on your head all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:30-31)

With our Father’s care, concern, and protection, the same care and concern that has Him count our hairs, we are truly free to live. And this knowledge, this great gift, is just one of the smaller presents that come to us in the words, in the actions, in the life, through the death, and because of the resurrection of the Speaker, our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

  So, in this sure and certain Word of Jesus, let us live happy lives, free from the fear of death and the world. Because of Christ, we are the Father’s free sparrows, and He wants us to fly, so all the world can see our freedom.

 In His peace,    Pastor Red  red1517@hotmail.com  

 BIBLE QUESTIONS (And Answers!)  COME STORMIN BACK!

On what day of creation did God create beaches? Day 3.

 Which king conquered the city of Jerusalem and made it the capital of Israel? King David.

 What did the people of Israel do when they heard God speaking from Mount Sinai? They fell down in terror.

 Which prophet condemned David for his adultery with Bathsheba? The prophet Nathan.

 True of False: King Solomon remained completely faithful to God all his life? False.

 Who was Solomon’s mother? Bathsheba.

 Which son of David led a temporary coup against his father? Absalom.

 How were King Saul and King David related? In-laws. David married Saul’s daughter, Michal.

 For whom was Moses working when God appeared to him in the burning bush? Jethro, his father-in-law.

 Which Persian king returned the Jews to Jerusalem and the land of Israel? Cyrus the Great.

 Which patriarch lived the longest? Methuselah, 969 years.

 Which patriarch never died? Enoch, Methuselah’s father.

 What king of Babylon threw Daniel into the lion’s den? Darius the Mede.

 What prophet was still working when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians? Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

 Which brother did Joseph hold as a hostage in Egypt, to test his brothers? Simeon.

 On what charge did Potiphar jail Joseph? Adultery, attempted rape of his wife.

 What are the names of the two sons of Rachel? Joseph and Benjamin.

 What granddaughter of Ahab and Jezebel ruled Judah after killing almost all of David’s descendants? Athaliah.

 What is the name of Jacob’s oldest son? Reuben.

 What did Rachel steal from her father’s house? The house idols, pagan gods that protected the home.

 Moses was born a member of what tribe of Israel? Levi.

 Which king asked God to make the earth reverse its rotation as proof of His promise? Hezekiah.

 Who was the only person that Jacob ever feared? Esau, his brother.

 Who is the only daughter of Jacob named? Dinah.

 Which prophet married a prostitute? Hosea, he married Gomer.