Introduction: Ever battled the formidable feeling that God has forgotten you, that God is silent regarding the longings of your heart?

Illustration: There’s a passage in Luke 12 where Christ addresses this experience.

Text: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Lk 12:4-7, ESV)

Teaching/encouragement: If we are honest, I think even Christians battle the sin of unbelief at times. What do I mean? Simply that, even though we profess accurate theology, we may not feel it at times. That’s one reason not to live by our feelings. It’s not about how we feel but about what is true.

The context of Luke 12 here is that Jesus was teaching the disciples about discernment, about the need to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.” Then he addresses the disciples as “friends” (v. 4). Why does he do that? Why that term of endearment? It was in order to show the disciples that the Christian’s obedience is to be unto the Lord. He is to fear the Lord and not fear man. Why? Because not one of them is forgotten by God. Believers are “of more value than many sparrows,” he says (v. 7).

Believers may feel forgotten at times. We all have days or seasons where we don’t necessarily feel the presence and power of God. (Again, beware of living by feelings.) But God is the same–yesterday, today, and forever. We are not forgotten. God sees where we are. He knows. He cares. And our duty is to trust him with everything–even and especially when we don’t feel the closeness for which we long.