January 20, 2015

“Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.” Numbers 1:26-27

When I jog, I try to think about anything but jogging. One of the habits I have picked up over the years is to count my steps. Through the process of counting, not only does the time seem to slip by a little quicker, but I find that I can accurately determine the half-way point of my jog – just by counting the steps. It is a tedious process, but I find it helps me get to the end.

Another area of our lives that can benefit from counting is our faith journey. When was the last time you took a few days and counted your blessings – each and every moment of each and every day? Not possible? Think about the census taken of the Israelites – a census of the people as directed by G*d. How long would this “accounting” have taken? Think about the census we take in this country today. Why do we take a census? Is it due to legislation, or the fact that it takes so long to assess the numbers? Actually the U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States, and is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, and takes place every 10 years. So G*d directed Moses to take the census, while they were in the wilderness, and no matter how long it took them, they listened to G*d.

Now don’t you think G*d would want you and I to take a “census” of our blessings often? You don’t know what you have until you take an accounting. And if we count our blessings, well it just may help us get to the end of each day, and the end of our most pressing concerns. Remember my friends, anything is possible with G*d.

Pastor Dave