The Sparrow

"Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life." - Isaiah 43:4

How are we more valuable than the sparrow?
I was posed with this question last week and I'm still chewing on it. In all honesty how are we more valuable than the sparrow. Think about it: the sparrow has everything he needs and does not worry from day to day. He just sings. So why do we worry from day to day? Well we are human but do we have faith? Of course we do. What a silly question I know. But in actuality do we have the faith that God will provide our every need? That in the mundane he will give us everything we need from finances to a place to rest our head at night? I know I struggle a little with this. We all do because we are human. The next verse says do not be afraid for I am with you!
We are created for His glory He formed and made us. He formed us for himself!! So I do believe that means He will take care of us. When the attitude (posture) of our heart is love, the thing that should overflow is love for one another because it is coming from Him. The second part of this verse I had trouble understanding but it is going through Jesus' life and this is the father saying that He will give men and people in exchange for Him. As well we can relate this to us in saying that we who have given our lives for him and left homes, mothers, fathers, brothers and lands for the sake of The Lord and the gospel will receive doubly what we gave up in this life and the life to come.
I can relate to this because I have left home for the sake of The Lord. I have been called to a different way of living. A different standard, a reject of the world. The Lord accepts all this whom the world has rejected. Those that do not conform to what the "norm" is. Paul calls himself the scum of the earth. It's not a negative thing it is simply saying that for The Lord I give up everything just to follow His name. Because he is worthy of it all. When you find your true identity in The Lord as a son or daughter you can only then cultivate a culture of authentic love and honour for your neighbour. He loved us first so that we could love him and others.
How awesome is that, when you first love the father because he is worthy you can then love others with a genuine love a wholehearted love.
All that to say we are not more valuable than the sparrow, the sparrow sings his song everyday without a care. We need to learn to be fully satisfied in Him.