By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
"More Than a Number"
September 23, 2017
Luke 12:7 - (Jesus said) "Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."
You remember the old song with the lines: "He's making a list, checking it twice, going to find out who's naughty or nice"?
Most people assume this song is speaking of our old friend, Santa. This devotion would not do anything to dispute that opinion.
On the other hand, that song's verse could also be speaking of the business company, Equifax.
Now even if you haven't heard of Equifax before, that doesn't mean Equifax hasn't heard of you. They know you and are watching to see if your spending habits are naughty or nice. That means Equifax has
• the numbers which say if you are delinquent in making your payments; • the numbers which say how much you owe and how long you've owed it; • the numbers which say you have too many open accounts, and • the numbers of your credit cards and the unpaid balance on each.
Along with that information, Equifax also has other numbers, numbers like
• your address, your phone, your email and • your Social Security card number.
Yup, Equifax knows just about every number about you which is worth knowing. About the only thing Equifax doesn't know is how to keep your information safe, secure, and away from prying eyes. Which is why, within the last month, they had to report that the private information of about 143 million individuals had been stolen by cyber thieves.
Now I've said Equifax may know a lot about you, but the truth is they don't know everything.
For example, Equifax doesn't know the number of the hairs on your head. Equifax doesn't, but God does. Equifax doesn't know the number of sins you have committed or the number of good things you have left undone. Equifax doesn't know if you are lost or saved, but God does.
And that's one of the greatest differences between the Lord and that company.
To the Lord you are not a compilation of numbers and statistics.
No, to Him you are a soul worth saving.
To that end the Lord Jesus Christ entered this world and offered Himself as the sacrifice which would forgive and rescue all who are brought to faith. His glorious resurrection from the dead says the thieves who had stolen you from your Lord have been put in their place and never again can destroy your rating with the Lord.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord I give thanks that in spite of knowing me and my sins, You decided to save me. Now I ask that You will use believers to share salvation's story. May the numbers of lost and unbelievers go down, and the crowd of those destined for heaven go up. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
The story which served as a base for this devotion was written by the editors of Newser on September 10 2017. For those who are interested, they can look at this website, which was fully functional when this devo was written: click here.
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
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