The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. – Numbers 26:53

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 19, 2012): Numbers 26

A number of years ago I heard a lecture that was basically on the subject of burnout. And there was one thought that has stuck with me – a line of thought that I have taken to heart. The idea was that there are things that we do as we live life that energizes us and that there are things that we do that drain us. And each one of us needs to be able to identify what those things are in our own lives. And so I have created a list of things that I think drain me, and I have a list of things that energize me (and, to be honest, my list of things that drain me is longer than my list of things that energize me.) And the purpose behind the list is that when I am doing things that drain me, I cannot expect to do that endlessly without pausing to do things that energize. I have just finished my holidays, but it is unrealistic for me to believe that I can work for eleven months at things that drain me and then take four weeks to recharge and then go back to be drained for another eleven months. Successful life is the mixture of things that drain and things that energize. And when life brings more things that drain, the appropriate response is not to abstain from play for that period (which is our typical response) but rather to increase it. More things that drain requires more things that recharge. And that makes sense to me.

God commands that a census be taken of Israel. And that can be a bit confusing because God seems to be a bit fickle on this point. Sometimes it is okay to count (even commanded to count) and sometimes it is forbidden. And the question that we ask is – what is the difference? And the difference is found in the purpose. In Numbers twenty-six, a census is needed so that the land can be divided up among the tribes. Because more people require more land, and not only that, but more land requires more people to tame and make full use of its resources. And I get that, because more things that empty require more things that can fill. So a census is required. Later, another census will be taken that will be condemned because its purpose will be to see if God is strong enough to do a task by counting the number of people in Israel. And the purpose for the census will not connect to the action of the census.

Purpose is important as we try to understand what it is that God wants us to do. And we can fall into the same kind of trap. Sometimes we need to take inventory of ourselves and our activities because God has designed us to live in a certain way. We need to understand that and be able to use our inventories so that we can function better in the world. But when we take an inventory of ourselves to answer the question of whether God is strong enough – then we have left purpose behind. And our inventory does not match with our purpose – and we should expect to be condemned. Purpose is important – and it is something that we always need to consider whenever we are doing things in life. And it can never be left behind.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers 27

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church sermon "The Road - Making a Difference" is now available on the VantagePoint Community Church Website. You can find it here. http://www.vantagepointcc.org/The_Road___Making_a_Difference.htm