[Faith-talk] {Spam?} Daily Thought for Tuesday, June 7, 2016

[Ericka]

Hey Paul, instead of always entitling this "daily thought "would you mind putting in the topic? Like pondering or story behind hymn?  This way if I'm really busy I know watch file to put it on there so I can read it later. 

Blessings,

Ericka Short
"What is right is not always popular; what is popular is not always right."

 from my iPhone 6s

> On Jun 7, 2016, at 2:27 PM, Paul Smith via Faith-Talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello to most of you once again on this primary voting day in five U.S. states, and, not to leave everyone else out, a big "hello!" to the rest of you.  Hope that your day is going well, by God's matchless grace and His providential care.
> 
> Most of my readers will undoubtedly remember that occasionally I like to bring to you all stories behind well-known hymns and Gospel songs, in addition to giving you the words.  As a bit of a teaser, this evening at 6:30 PM eastern time, for those of you who are members of the Interactive Christian Community or ICC, if Sister Julie has her program then, I'll be in there and will both recite and sing the song in question.  I'd give you the same as an email attachment, but my email provider only allows five minutes max for a voice message.
> 
> Anyway I'm sure you're interested in hearing the story behind a particular Gospel song.  It is entitled "His Eye Is On the Sparrow," made famous in recent years by Ethel Waters in her recording, but do you know its story? Probably not, so I'm going to bring it to you and then post the words to the same.  We begin with a little astronomy lesson, but don't worry, as this lesson ties in perfectly with the song itself.
> 
> In times of heartache and seemingly insurmountable obstacles or hardships, when you wonder if there's an answer to your problems, consider our sun.
> 
> It is a blazing inferno 864,000 miles in diameter, more than 100 times the size of the earth.  Every second, it gives more energy than man has used since the dawn of civilization.  Fountains of blazing gas spurt out from it every second, reaching distances of 6,000 miles.  Its temperature at the core is estimated to be 55 million degrees Fahrenheit, so hot that a pinhead of its matter would give off enough heat to kill a person 100 million miles away.
> 
> And yet, our sun is just an ordinary, medium-sized star, and is simply one of four billion other suns, many of which are thousands of times larger.  Together these billions of suns/stars make up our Milky Way Galaxy.
> 
> Still more amazing is that our Milky Way Galaxy is just one single galaxy among billions of other galaxies, each of which has more billions of suns.  And yet, Jesus said, "Not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it." (Matthew 10:29)
> 
> A construction crew was building a new road through a rural area, knocking down trees as it progressed.  A superintendent noticed a nest of birds that couldn't fly yet.  He marked the tree so it wouldn't be cut down.
> 
> Several weeks later, the superintendent returned to the tree.  He got into a bucket truck and was lifted up so that he could peer into the nest.  Having now learned to fly, the fledglings were gone.  And he ordered the tree cut down.
> 
> As it crashed to the ground, the nest fell clear and some of the material the birds had gathered to make their nest was scattered about. Part of it was a scrap of paper torn from a Sunday School pamphlet.  On it were written these words:  "He cares for you."
> 
> God is in charge of a universe so huge, so complex that the human mind cannot conceive it.  Yet He knows the downing of every sparrow, every heartache, every tear shed.  And He knows about you--your fears, doubts, ambitions, problems and tomorrows.  This great and awesome God who rules our world and worlds unknown cares for YOU.  And He loves YOU with a love that is so amazing and incomprehensible to our feeble human understanding.
> 
> The author of this hymn text, Civilla Martin, knew of this profound truth when she wrote "His Eye Is On the Sparrow." While visiting a bedridden friend in 1905, the conversation of the two women centered upon the sick woman's physical condition.  Civilla asked, "Don't you ever get discouraged?"
> 
> The reply was a statement of faith, "How can I be discouraged when my Heavenly Father watches over each little sparrow and I know He loves and cares for me."
> 
> Civilla Martin was so inspired by this simple and beautiful statement of faith that she penned this whole hymn text in one day and then mailed it to the famous Gospel composer, Charles Gabriel, who composed the tune and musical arrangement.
> 
> Civilla Durfee Martin was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1869.  She became a school and music teacher, but gave up her career when she married a traveling evangelist, Dr. Walter Martin, to assist him in his meetings.
> 
> Below you will read the words to this Gospel song.
> 
> 1.  Why should I feel discouraged,
> Why should the shadows come?
> Why should my heart be lonely
> And long for Heav'n and home?
> When Jesus is my portion
> My constant Friend is He:
> His eye is on the sparrow,
> And I know He watches me;
> His eye is on the sparrow,
> And I know He watches me.
> 
> Refrain:  I sing because I'm happy,
> I sing because I'm free,
> For His eye is on the sparrow
> and I know He watches me.
> 
> 2.  "Let not your heart be troubled,"
> His tender word I hear,
> And resting on His goodness,
> I lose my doubts and fears;
> Tho' by the path He leadeth
> But one step I may see:
> His eye is on the sparrow,
> And I know he watches me.
> His eye is on the sparrow,
> And I know he watches me.
> Refrain:
> 
> Whenever I am tempted,
> Whenever clouds arise,
> When songs give place to sighing,
> When hope within me dies;
> I draw closer to Him,
>> From care He sets me free;
> His eye is on the sparrow,
> And I know he watches me.
> His eye is on the sparrow,
> And I know He watches me.
> Refrain:
> 
> And there you have the story behind this hymn and Gospel song.  By the way, did you know that Mrs. Martin also wrote the words to the hymn tune "God Will Take Care of You?" Sometime ago I posted the story behind this hymn as well, as many of you hopefully will remember.
> 
> And that will do it for today.  Until tomorrow when, Lord willing another Daily Thought message and article will be posted, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul
> 
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