“Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.” (Numbers 1:2 ESV)
Counting
I did not count in Middle School. At least not when it came to sports. I usually was picked last to be on baseball teams, basketball teams, football teams, soccer teams, dodgeball teams, and kickball teams. I remember one sad recess when we were dividing up to play kickball, I was not even chosen last. I, and a couple more non-athletic kids, were just thrown on to a team at the end.
“They don’t really count,” someone said.
Standing before the Almighty God, we might feel the same way. If God were picking who would be on HIS team, He would not look at me twice.
But then Jesus steps in. He says, “I choose that one… and I will even die to make sure He makes it on the Christian team, to make sure He is mine, to make sure He counts.”
And along with that, once He has counted me, He never forgets me.
I do not count, but in Christ I do.