Thursday Devotional

Not Just a Number

“I don’t think they like me,” I said in a sort of half whisper to my 18 year old son as we walked away from the entrance. We had just arrived at an amusement park and came upon a large group of my kids’ friends and acquaintances. They greeted each other, congratulating, and admiring each other’s brilliant idea to be there and I had noticed one student in particular who didn’t return my hello.

“Mom,” he said rather firmly, “There are almost 7 billion people in the world, what does it matter if one doesn’t like you?”

I thought about this perspective of numbers many times since then. Does one person matter? In our country there are over 330 million people, and in my current state, California, 37 million people reside. Such large numbers make 1, 20, or even 100 seem like very small numbers of people over which to worry. Thankfully from God’s perspective every person is worth considering.

Luke 12:6-7 (New Living Translation)

What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins?

Yet God does not forget a single one of them.

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God

than a whole flock of sparrows.

This morning I was reading an article about the Chadron High School shooting outside of Cleveland, Ohio. A student told a reporter that she and a friend crouched down and hid in a teacher’s lounge during the attack. When people started passing on the shooter’s name, the girl next to her, the shooter’s sister, started sobbing. Until that moment, I had been sad to see that another person had chosen violence and that 3 students had died. But the sobs of the sister struck me to my core. They reminded me that God says to weep for those who weep and mourn for those who mourn (see Romans 12:15).

Psalm 34:18 (New Living Translation)
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Thanks to the practically instant news available to us through television and the internet we could spend every day weeping. Yesterday, at least 12 people died when tornados touched down in the mid-west. The list continues. When one person chooses violence, when nature acts up, the effect is so far reaching and the grief is unending. If we can’t make everything better, what can we do?

Zechariah 7:9-10 (Amplified)

'Treat one another justly.
Love your neighbors.
Be compassionate with each other.Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor.
Don't plot and scheme against one another—that's evil.'

Dear Lord, thank You that we are not just numbers. Please clean my heart out of selfishness and pour in Your compassion. You do know us and understand how hard it is for us. Thank You that nothing can separate us from Your love. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins