Powerful Numbers

Powerful Numbers

Revelation 11: I was then given a stick that looked like a measuring-rod, and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshiping in the temple. ² But do not measure the outer courts, because they have been given to the heathen, who will trample on the Holy City for forty-two months. ³ I will send my two witnesses dressed in sackcloth, and they will proclaim God's message during those 1, 260 days.”

 

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“There is strength in numbers” I was taught. I sought crowds of people that had large numbers. But there were times when I was with a lot of people and felt more alone than if I were with a smaller crowd. “Maybe I have this numbers thing wrong” I thought to myself.

 

• I thought “more” was better.
• I thought that if I did not have large numbers, then it was not valuable.
• I feared not having large numbers, causing me to waiver in things GOD told me to do.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, was given a measuring stick. The voice, perhaps JESUS, told him to measure the temple and to number those who were inside worshiping. Then the voice said “two witnesses” would be sent to proclaim GOD’s message.

 

My Observations:

• GOD is so powerful that HE only needs small numbers to do mighty things.
• GOD seems more comfortable using two versus two million.
• GOD is aware of the number of hairs on your head and is concerned about that, especially those who do not have hair.

 

There is power in small numbers. I mean, when a tow truck lifts a car off of someone, it would not make the news, but when one person is given strength to lift that same car off of his or her child, that act makes the news. GOD seems to delight in amazing things that happen in small numbers.

 

HE whittled down Gideon's army from thousands to hundreds and frightened the Philistine nation with David’s one rock. GOD uses the supernatural to take care of big problems. HE does not need more than enough.

 

Challenge

• What instructions is the writer given?
• Why do you think GOD revealed certain numbers?
• If you are concerned with amounts of money, or people or sizes, then could you give it to GOD who has the power to address your concerns with small numbers rather than what you may think?

Hearing Quantities

Luke 4: ²³ He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ” ²⁴ Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. ²⁵ But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; ²⁶ but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.²⁷ And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

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“How many people showed up?” was the question of the church leaders posed to me. “Two” was my answer. I could see the disappointed and disgusted look on their faces and I felt like they thought I should have done more to make the event successful. “Maybe we should serve free hot dogs” were the next words out of their mouths.

• People have measured my success on their view of the numbers.
• People have based their opinions of my success by looking at quantities.
• People have tried to find the root cause of the problem by looking at numbers.

JESUS told the people, who did not believe HE was the Messiah, that prophets are not accepted in their own neighborhoods. HE sighted two examples of the most powerful prophets, Elijah and Elisha, being rejected and the consequences of the rejection was death, famine and lack of healing. Only small quantities were saved.

• GOD does not want me to focus on quantity rather quality.
• GOD wants me to seek HIM with faithfulness rather than measuring everything HE does.
• GOD wants me to preach HIS word no matter how small the crowd.

Faith is the missing ingredient when it comes to numbers. GOD sends me the number of people HE wants me to talk to and HE sends me to the number of those HE wants me to serve. Whether it’s one or one thousand, my focus should be on what HE wants me to say and how HE wants me to act. Quality is more important than quantity with GOD.

• Are you ashamed of how many people you serve for GOD?
• Are you not being heard even though you desire your friends and family to believe fully in CHRIST?
• Can you have enough faith to allow GOD to work in their lives and you stop trying to force the situation to happen?