Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 2 Samuel 24:9, ” Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. ” 

Background

Every ten years, our government counts the number of people living in this country. Some of that process is done by way of personal contact. Census takers will go from door to door to collect the relevant information that the government requires. Others are counted via a questionnaire that comes to them in the mail. Those recipients are expected to answer each of the questions about those living in their house regarding age, race, income and so forth. After whatever amount of time it takes to record over 300 million people, our government then publishes the information and makes any governmental changes based on the results. Congressional districts might get redrawn, the number of representatives might increase or decrease, and all manner of federal spending will flow down to the states based on who and how many live where. But does the government ever know if they counted correctly? Is there a way to be sure that the final tally is accurate? We can count the attendance at a ballgame by taking a ticket from everyone who comes through the gate. We can take aerial photos of huge outdoor gatherings and use technology to count the heads. But how do we know if 315 million shouldn’t actually be 325 million? The government has a census clock that estimates the population increasing by one person every fifteen seconds. If that’s based on faulty data, what might the true rate of increase be? 

Application

You have expectations for today. Some are yours and some are placed on you by others. On what are they based? Is it something reliable and verifiable? Is it true? Our natures, and the natures of those who will rate us, are sinful and distorted. The expectations and judgments that they will render are flawed. But that doesn’t stop us from making them and comparing ourselves to them, all in the hopes of scoring favorably. That’s a broken system. God’s Word is your guide, and not just conceptually. The very words are to be obeyed, and then you will know you have done correctly that which counts. 

Charge

As we seek Him today, base your expectations and your decisions on God’s Word as you read it. Let Him tell you what He desires of you.