I'll be posting a scripture from time to time (maybe daily) showing the value God has for man.  This is the verse for today.

Matthew 10:29-31
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.


Feel free to express what this passage means to you.  If you are not a Christian, please feel free to read and observe the discussion...however, I respectfully ask that you allow us as Believers to discuss this passage in peace as it is not meant to be here for debate but as an opportunity for the believers on this site to discuss the passage amongst ourselves.  That is why I purposely did NOT put in the debate area.  I am trusting that in as much as you claim to be against "forcing" others to hear your disagreements when they don't want to...that you will live by what you preach.  So, now on to peaceful dialogue among believers on the passage.  Feel free to any portion of the Chapter I did not quote as well.  There is quite a bit good stuff there to use.

It has been proven through various social experiments that those who are not given responsibilities and consequences for their actions tend to feel unvalued and as though they have no worth.  it would then only become natural that if God truly values us that He would give us responsibilities and consequences for failing to abide by those responsibilities.  This brings me to my favorite verse in the Bible:

Matthew 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

We see here our responsibility is to do the will of the Father.  What is His will?  Through His Word He provides the answer to that.  We see in Matthew chapter 10 a couple of those things.  In verse 32 we have the responsibility to witness.  If we deny our connection to Christ or hide it...if we do not witness then we are in fact denying Christ and the consequence is that He will deny us before the Father.  In scripture our entry into heaven is described as Christ literally turning to God to deny or confirm us.  Those He denies will be cast into hell and those He confirms will be brought into heaven where we shall eat of the Tree of Life and it is upon eating from this Tree that we shall live forever.

Verse 37 dictates that we are to love God above all else, including our family.  This is actually one of the Ten Commandments.  When the commandment states that we are not to have other gods before Him, it does not just mean Odin, Zeus, Allah, etcetera...it means anything.  Is your life filled with video games and self entertainment or does your life have a healthy balance of entertainment and Christ?  Is Christ your vocal point?  Many believers make sure to have free time each day to play their video games, hang out with their friends, eat dinner with their family, etcetera but they do not do the same for reading their Bible or their private prayer life to God.  In so doing, they have chosen to love the things of this world and those around them more than they love God.  There is nothing wrong with being entertained, God wants us to be happy and enjoy our lives.  However, we must put Him first.  How can we expect a God of unlimited value to put us (who are sinners) first if we can not put Him first?

Verses 38 through 40 depict our responsibility to suffer for Christ rather than enjoy peace against Him.  There are those on this forum that seem to make it their daily objective to make talking about Christ a painful and bitter experience as a means of intimidating us so that we will stop.  I have been witnessing for Christ online for over a decade.  I've endured and witnessed other believers endure great tribulation for their beliefs.  It is tempting to choose the option of giving up so that we have peace from it all or to stop advertising our Christianity and pretend to be a non-believer so that we are popular or liked.  However, when we do this we lose our worth.

However, to say that having value and worth requires responsibilities and consequences for failing at those responsibilities is not completely true.  It also requires blessings and rewards for abiding by those responsibilities.  Studies into the workplace have shown that employees who are generously rewarded for accomplishes expected goals and given greater rewards for exceeding expectations are far more productive and effective.  Businesses adopting such models have seen increases in profits as a result to this increased productivity and effectiveness.  Verses 1, 13, 14, 19, 41, and 42 all show blessings being bestowed and promised.

Anyhow, that is just a little take from me.  I look forward to hearing what my brothers and sisters in Christ have to say on the topic.

I have always loved the verse about God knowing the numbers of hairs on our head. I mean, it's just amazing to know that God can number the sands of the sea, the stars in the universe..... and the hairs on our head.  That He knows each and every one of us so intimately has never ceased to amaze me.  Even in my love for my own child someday, I will not know how many hairs he/ she has on his/ her head.

Another reason I like that verse is because reading the bible brings to light that God cares very much for His creation.  He tends the animals with a caring hand and He loves them, yet He tells us that we are worth more than them.  If He loves His creations so much, how can we not expect to receive the same care, at the very least?

As you know, it's hard for me to give my own self a sense of worth. I've always been this way and I don't know if this is due to demonic influences in my life or not.  I can't imagine it being OF God, because I know God loves me.  I am His child, whom He gave life.  It brings me to tears when I think of all the ways He reached out to me when I was younger, despite not being in a religious household.  Of everyone God could speak to, He chose to speak to me.

I'm not saying He has only chosen to speak with me.  LOL  I'm just expressing my awe that He did.

As for the end of your post, I just wrote a passage earlier which talks about the value of hard work and of coming to task in our responsibilities.  As I was reading the Bible today, I was thinking of how hard my job can be.  It's always great to crack open my Bible and get some comfort from Him.  The key is that I have to LET Him.  If I shut my heart in self- hatred, how can I expect to open my heart to anyone else's love? If I feel that I don't deserve my own love, then who's do I deserve?

It's a line of thought I need to get out of, so I appreciate what you wrote up here.

I can pretty much open my Bible to any page and find expressions of God's love for us.  For example, I just opened my bible randomly, and I ended up in Matthew 14.  Matthew 14 outlines the sharing of the bread, which is comparable to the incident in 2 Kings where one hundred men were fed with 20 loaves of bread.  In both cases, God instructs that the bread be broken so that all could eat.  The people were given bread and even had some left over.  During a time in which Jesus' disciples were disheartened, God hearkened to their cries of hunger and exhaustion.  He didn't turn His head away because they were in a tough place and complained.  Instead, Jesus fed them and then instructed them to feed the multitude.

Of course, this is also in reference to the Bread of Life.  The world is starving (spiritually), and God has given us the food to replenish the empty cabinets.

It's a wonder that God loves us so much.  I need to remind myself of that more often, and feed my soul with the Bread God has lovingly provided me.

There are many ways that God sees us. it's unbelievable how God can love us so. Great food for thought.


Jak.

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

John 16:24

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Psalms 34:10

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

John 10:11-13

It is i guess If I dont refer to anything else but just to ask you guys ponder open these things, the best. Also, I usually think of these things in my own bible translations, then try to find one in english. I think what I find might not be of your favourite translation in english though, but if that is the case, forgive me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 14:2-3

jasonkelli :  Just wondering if you were ever going to continue this? I favorited the thread because I was looking forward to hearing more from you.  Do you have any plans on providing us more scripture and your interpretations on them?

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.


This one inspired me to not be afraid of my father.