Challenged to a greater trust

You perhaps have heard the story of the little girl who was on a cruise ship that was caught in a hurricane off the Florida coast. One of the other passengers observed how calm she was despite the fearful storm and the panic of most of the adults. He asked, “How can you be so calm and unconcerned?” The little girl replied, “Because my father is the pilot of this ship.”
My father is in command — this explains the trust of this little girl. Our Father too is in control, in command — this should be the reason for our trust.
The disciples of Jesus once asked him to teach them about prayer. The prayer which Jesus taught them began with these words: “Our Father, who art in heaven.” In essence, this is the prayer of a child, of one who addresses the Lord Almighty as “Father.”
Jesus, you see, brought something new and wonderful into mankind’s relationship with God. Because he is the only begotten Son of God, he would, of course, speak of God as “my Father.” In the same way, he instructed his disciples to go to God and address him as “Father.” 
Being a child of the Father brings with it everyday security. The Father knows what his children need. His goodness and loving care are boundless. Nothing is too small for the Lord.
The Rabbis of Jesus’ day prohibited prayers that God’s mercy should extend even to a bird’s nest; in their eyes, it was disrespectful to associate God with something as small as a tiny bird. In striking contrast to such an attitude, note that Jesus says that God cares even for sparrows — although five can be bought for two tiny copper coins.
The Lord even counts the hairs on a person’s head. Someone has figured out that a blonde person has about 145,000 hairs, a dark-haired person 120,000, and a person with red hair 90,000. If God numbers the hairs of our heads — if not one sparrow is forgotten — what are the children of God being challenged to do? The answer is obvious: “Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Fear and unrest rule the world. All around us we find anxiety and worry, anger and frustration. The Covid-19 pandemic continues. If God is dead, if he is powerless, if he does not care, if he is not loving, then we have reason to fear. But thankfully we are the children of a Father who is in command, and so we can trust him.
Our Heavenly Father is intimately aware of all that befalls us. He knows our many needs, our fears, and our concerns. Yet as we’ve witnessed countless times, his gracious providence continues and is all-embracing.
As we enter into a New Year, we can put our confidence in our Heavenly Father. He loves us enough to send his best, his Son Jesus, to be our Savior. He also will take care of YOU as one of his dearly loved sons and daughters.  Yes, God is already there and will bless our 2021!
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6,7)
(Devotion adapted from Are You Ready? by Lyle Albrecht)