God Sees . . . and Cares!

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s Truth for us one drive at a time! 

You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus . . . on a farm. This season we’re enjoying faith lessons from the barnyard.

Have you ever been outside and suddenly you hear a fast tap-tap-tapping? It’s probably a woodpecker! There are so many birds in the world. Do you ever wonder if God really knows what they’re all doing? 

Today, Dannah Gresh and Staci Rudolph are sitting on the patio with some lemonade. What they’re talking about will help you learn that God is everywhere all at once. They’ll also share a Bible verse that reminds us just how much God cares for each and every creature. (And hey, if he cares about birds, He must care about you, True Girl!)

Let’s dive into the seventh episode of season 5, titled, “God Sees . . . and Cares!” Here’s Staci.

Staci Rudolph: There he goes again. That woodpecker must really be going after something.

Dannah Gresh: Oh yeah, that’s my red-headed friend. I hope he comes to the feeder so you can see him.

He sure is going after something! Isn’t it amazing how they can peck trees like that and never get a headache? Do you know the reason they can do that is because of how God made them?

Staci: I mean, it doesn’t surprise me. God thought of all the details when He made everything. What’s unique about how woodpeckers are put together?

Dannah: Well, oddly enough, one of the reasons they can peck like that is because of their tongue!

Staci: Wait, what? You lost me there. 

Dannah: Ha ha, I know. It sounds weird. But a woodpecker’s tongue is really long. In fact, it’s so long that it extends all the way back into their head and wraps around their brain! Their tongue cushions the head and prevents brain damage when they do all that pecking to find insects.

Staci: That is the craziest thing . . . and the most amazing thing! God’s creation is incredible! You have so much of His creation around your farm, Dannah. I love how many bird feeders you have out. I bet you have to refill them all the time, huh?

Dannah: That is for sure, Staci. All of these birds empty us out pretty quickly.

Staci: Hey, True Girl! Glad you’re here. I want to dive right into the Bible today. Are ya ready?

Let me read Matthew 10:29 to you:

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.

Dannah: Okay, so here’s what you need to know, sparrows are really common birds in our part of the world. They’re the little brown birds we can see all the time. They’re cute, but also really, really . . . normal. They’re not flashy like a red cardinal or that woodpecker. I hope he comes closer so you can see him!

Staci: Our verse today tells us one really cool thing about God. He knows when a really common bird falls to the ground. We learned in an earlier episode that God is omniscient—that means He is all-knowing He’s also omnipresent—that means He’s everywhere at once. So, God knows if a sparrow, such a common little bird you could buy for barely any money, falls to the ground. 

Dannah: Oh Staci, that verse became real to me not long ago when I was concerned about my woodpecker buddy.

Staci: A woodpecker buddy? Are you saying it helped you get ready in the morning like some sort of fairytale princess? I’m not buying that . . . 

Dannah: Nooo. Not like that. This woodpecker was a regular visitor to my feeder each morning. His little visits became a part of my morning worship time—you know how inspired I get by God’s creation, right Staci?

Staci: I sure do. I’m glad to hear a woodpecker wasn’t helping you do your hair.

Dannah: Ha ha, me, too. The woodpecker I’m talking about is a Yellow-Bellied Woodpecker. I think that name’s funny since his head is red and his belly is hardly yellow. But like I said, it was a regular part of my morning routine to watch him come and eat every day. I always saw him fly back to the same walnut tree. I kind of assumed that was his home. 

Well, one day a very fierce wind came whipping and tearing through our farm. It was almost like a tornado, but what happened on my farm was a macroburst. And that macroburst cut down three big walnut trees in seconds, including my little buddy’s tree!

Staci: Oh, no! That’s so sad!

Dannah: That’s exactly how I felt, too. Since the tree was laying down on the ground now, I was able to confirm that, yes, it really had been his home. I could see the hole. I just sat there with all the branches surrounding me and I cried. I felt so sad for my Yellow-Bellied Woodpecker.

Staci: I would have done the same thing. Poor little guy! I can see how today’s verse came into your mind that day.

Dannah: Yeah, as I sat there crying over this woodpecker, I felt a little silly or uncomfortable. Like, was it okay for me to cry over a woodpecker? Then I remembered Matthew 10:29 that said God is so in touch with His creation, and He is everywhere at once, that He knows when sparrows fall to the ground. At that moment, I felt free to cry over this bird.

Staci: That’s pretty sweet, Dannah. I love how God brings Scripture to mind when we need it most. 

Dannah: He really does. Of course, that’s because I’ve spent time getting to know my Bible, but the Holy Spirit brings verses to mind when I need them. That day, it felt like I had His permission to care and cry about this bird.

Staci: And think about this, True Girl, if God cares about when the birds fall, how much more does He care for YOU when you’re hurting or afraid or sad?

Dannah: It’s pretty comforting if you think about it.

Staci: It sure is. Hey, I’m a little nervous to ask this, but what do you think happened to that Yellow-Bellied Woodpecker? 

Dannah: He made it! 

Staci: Really?!

Dannah: Yes! God really did take of him. A few days later, he was back at my feeder in the mornings again! He must have found another tree to make his home.

Staci: (whispering) Oh, there he is, and he’s beautiful! And you’re right, his head is red. I’m so glad he was safe. 

True Girl, this week when you go through something difficult or confusing or sad, stop for just a minute and think about how God cares for and sees those tiny sparrows. He sees you, too. He’s everywhere, seeing all of us at the same time. And, oh how much He loves you! He cares! 

Think about that when you feel scared or afraid.

And, one more thing.

Dannah: Yeah? What?

Staci: Let’s be thankful that our tongues don’t wrap up and around our brains. I can’t even think about that . . . it freaks me out.

Dannah: It is just a little weird. Just try not to think about it.

Staci: I’m definitely gonna dream about that tonight.

Claire: What a cool lesson Dannah’s woodpecker taught us about God’s omnipresence! He is everywhere. And I’m excited to think about this: if God cares about those sparrows, He must really, really care about me! 

You know, Dannah brought up a good point today. Comforting Bible verses can’t come into your mind unless you know your Bible. We can help with that! True Girl offers on-demand Bible studies.You can download the video and order the books for one of those today. Just go to MyTrueGirl.com.

For some of us, fireflies are a normal part of our summer nights. Others of us have to travel somewhere to see those little flying lights! Well, Dannah Gresh’s farm is pretty much a wonderland of fireflies during June and July. On the next episode of the True Girl Podcast, Staci and Dannah talk all about those little guys. You’re invited to join them around the campfire. See ya next week.

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

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