Devotional: Nothing Happens Apart from Your Father's Will

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

In the past I remembered pastors and others putting the emphasis on verses 30-31 in the scripture above. They have failed to point out in verse 31, what the therefore is there for.

When you look back, you see that the "therefore" is referring to this: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." The New King James renders it this way, "And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will". This clarifies it. This is why we are not to fear.

What this says to me is that hardships will come into my life. The sparrow will fall and we too will have hardships. It is just a part of life. However, not one hardship or difficulty will come into my life that isn't a part of God's will for me. God is in control of all things, good and bad. Therefore, I should not fear.

I know this is easier said than done. I often fear that something will happen and God will take me before I want to go. I have a husband who needs me, children to raise, things I want to accomplish and I find myself fearing that I won't get to live to see all this through.

When you get right down to it, my fear stems from wanting to order and run my life how I deem best, rather than submitting to what God's will and plan might be for me. I am afraid God's will and plan may not match my will and plan. The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." So, I guess the question is, how much do I love God? Can I trust Him with my life? Can I trust that He knows what is best for me and those I love? If not, then I am fearful and this means I am not perfected in my love for Him. Ouch!

Can you trust God's will for you? Nothing happens outside of His will. Do you love Him enough to not be fearful? These are hard questions for me, yet I really don't have need to be fearful. If God should choose to take me before I want to go, I can say with the Apostle Paul, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord."