Even the Sparrow

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,where she may lay her young, at your altars,

O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.

Psalm 84:3-4

This psalm struck me today as I imagined the Psalmist admiring the beauty of the Temple and then noticing a sparrow's nest in one of the altars. I know quite a few matriarchs of the church who would freak out and see it as some sort of desecration if a sparrow dared make her nest in the church altar. But for the Psalmist it was just more testimony to the the God who created and sustains all living creatures. Even the sparrow knows where she and her young ones will be safe and cared for. Perhaps the sparrow knows more than we do for we often look for security in far less secure places.