What Can I Expect from God?
When the scope of God’s providence enters into a given conversation, someone will invariably chime in with something like “God has bigger fish to fry” or “God doesn’t sweat the small stuff” when it comes to the everyday matters of life. In reality, nothing seen or unseen by us is unknown to God. Stated positively, everything in our universe and beyond is seen and known and governed by God. From the largest areas on our planet that can be viewed from outer space to the smallest items that can barely be seen by the naked eye, all are well within God’s providential care. Jesus addresses this truth in the Gospel of Luke:
“Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7)
Years ago, a good Christian friend expressed his doubt as to whether every hair is actually counted on each of us, and if such a thing were even possible. I would like to say that I had the following information ready for a quick reply, but instead, I just let him have the last word on the subject. Recently, in doing some research on the subject, I discovered that there are approximately 400,000 cells in each strand of hair, and some 42 million molecules in each of those cells. I believe, through faith, that God is intimately familiar not only with every hair, but with all the constituent parts of each strand of hair he has created. Indeed, “not one of them has escaped the notice of God” in his omniscience.
Another way of saying that nothing escapes God’s notice would be to say that God sees everything, both big and small, along with the countless things that cannot be seen by human beings under any temporal circumstances. The following passage, also from Luke, reads like poetry and punctuates God’s love and care for each one of us:
“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (Luke 12:27-28)
Let us pray for an increase of the faith we have been given as baptized children of God, and a spirit of gratitude for his divine providence and care.