Value Found in God || Luke 12:6-7 || Manna for the Mind #93

Welcome to Day 93 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s passage is Luke 12:6-7, which discusses our value in God.

Luke 12:6-7

AMP	6 Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? Yet not one of them has [ever] been forgotten in the presence of God. 7 Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are far more valuable than many sparrows.
NLT	6 “What is the price of five sparrows – two copper coins? Yet God doesn’t forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
MSG	6-7 “What’s the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail – even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.

I’m very literal, so I want to look into this further. The two copper coins mentioned were 1/16^th of a denarius, which was a full day’s wages for an unskilled worker. The national minimum wage in the US right now is $7.25 an hour. The typical workday in the US is 8 hours, which makes the daily wage $58. 1/16^th equals 6.25%, which is $3.63.

We are more valuable than a common bird bought and sold locally. We are worth more than $3.63. Now it says we’re more valuable than a flock of birds. A flock can be 20 or less, 21-99, or 100-999. Even if we took the highest number (999) of sparrows, the value goes up to $3,626.37

What am I saying right now? No matter what goes on around us, no matter what things come and go, we still have more value than we’ll ever realize. God remembers the common bird that gets purchased for $3.63, and given his human creations, they are small potatoes.

God shows us our worth. Those around us don’t get to have a say in it. Our actual value is from God and God alone. Other people can value us based on our production or what we can provide to them. We can provide value by having a certain wealth status, skin color, and more. Our value to the world is often based on our exterior appearances. God doesn’t look at that. God values us because he created every one of us in his image, and he’s constantly working to carry out his purpose and plan for us. He wants us to experience all he created us to be and become.

God values us because he created us. God values us over all creation because we are representatives of his mission. The Great Commission called the disciples, and we go out and make disciples worldwide. He created us with the light of Christ living in our hearts, which radiates in everything we say and do. How this happens will be different from person to person because God creates unique plans for us and plants specific gifts and talents inside of us that fit that plan. We can use those gifts and talents in whatever field God places us in to share with others the love and compassion he’s shared with us.

How do we get there? Read the scriptures. Learn how God has worked in those that came before us. The book of Hebrews is an excellent place to start with the focus on gifts and faith because it contains the faith of the essential figures of the past and the foundation of Christianity. Pray and talk with God about revealing his plans for you and utilizing your gifts. Listen for the voice that sounds clear and quiet in your reflection. God is close to all of us. He won’t yell to get your attention. He’ll talk to you in his sweet, loving voice that silences the chaos around us. After that, find areas to get involved. It could be in your church. It could be a career path. Whatever it is, I pray that God uses you to accomplish his will.

We can get caught up in finding value through others or what we produce. It’s been a struggle I’ve dealt with (and am still dealing with). One of the verses that has helped me through is the one I want to leave you with. It’s a classic that helps me remember how God values me. It’s 1 Samuel 16:7.

1 Samuel 16:7

AMP	7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appeance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
NLT	7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
MSG	7 But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”