The Apostles' Creed - Pt. 7

 

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:26-33 ESV).

 

We return to the declaration of the Nicene Creed that God is “creator of heaven and earth today. It is one of those truths that we often take for granted. We believe God is creator, but we rarely take the time to really let that thought permeate our daily lives. If you are like most folks rarely do you simply stand outside on a dark, clear night, look up at the stars, and feel small in the vastness of the universe. Yet, in the face of so many of the challenging circumstances of life we often feel small and vulnerable. It is in those moments our knowledge of the greatness of God that we can take comfort in knowing that our Father in heaven created the sun, the moon, and stars, as well as all of the earth. That includes each of us.

 

I love the way Jesus explains it in our reading today. Closely linked to God’s creating power are his sustaining and governing powers over the entire cosmos he has made. Nothing in creation is insignificant in God’s hands, not because he’s a “control freak” but because God cares for all he has made. He intimately knows when just one sparrow “falls to the ground;” He even knows the number of hairs on our heads (v. 30). Think of it. A sparrow is thought of now and then as nothing more than a nuisance, yet God cares for each one so much that He watches over each one’s life. And, the hairs on our head are all “numbered.” I don’t number them. I rarely even think much about my hair than when it needs to be washed or combed. Occasionally, Mary will tell me when it gets too long and needs to be cut. But, even then as it falls to the barber’s scissors, I think nothing of it. God does.

 

This means that knowing God has the whole world and every one of us in his hands, we can live with great confidence no matter where life’s paths take us. In times of health and prosperity, we can give thanks for God’s many blessings and in turn share those blessings with others. And when we encounter difficulties and hardships, we can also give thanks. For in times like that, we grow in trust and in patience as we lean on our Father, who cares for us and will always provide for us. That belief, that creed, develops a sense of hope and trust in all that I experience because God has got it!