One of Seven Billion.

Numbers.

I'm one of 7 billion. And yet, He loves me for me. That blows my mind.

Numbers is named for the 2 censuses that occur within the book. 186,400 members of the tribe of Judah...157,600 of the tribe of Dan...151,450 of the tribe of Reuben... Hundreds of thousands of children of God. But more than 2500 years have passed since the Israelites were numbered. And today no trace of them remains. No names. No faces. Just numbers, but that's part of the beauty of the story. The Israelites were God's people in the same way that I am his.

Because of this I can confidently say that it doesn't matter that I'm just one of 7 billion. It doesn't matter that the world may pass me by. If I live and die and am soon forgotten by this place, it won't be my loss. I don't have to worry about security or the struggle for significance in this life because I am His and He is mine. Nothing else matters.

My God, who has counted the hairs on my head and has numbered all of my days has chosen me for life in Christ. He is sovereign and he has a plan for me. I can rest in knowing that his deep abiding love for me will never fail, and that his plan for me gives purpose to my life.

I don't have to struggle for significance because God has already chosen a purpose for me. I was created to bring glory to the God of the universe. What greater purpose could I ask for?

I often wish that I could see God's plan for my life. Especially now, when I'm making so many important life decisions. I'm a planner and I feel safe and secure when I can know what is coming next. But I'm slowly discovering that God doesn't allow me to operate that way.

He doesn't let me see the big picture. Rather, I am required to take each day, one day at a time, keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus. When I focus on Christ instead of the problems that I know lie ahead, I affirm my trust in his sovereign control of my life. I'm stubborn and I'm a worrier, so I struggle to blindly trust, but the surprises that await me in my daily walk with Jesus are so much sweeter than the security that I feel when I get to know what's coming next.

So I'll simply trust. Yesterday I got my acceptance letter. I'm going to be a Vanderbilt Commodore next year, but after that...I just don't know. And that's totally okay with me. I may be just one of 7 billion, but God has a perfect plan for ME. So I'll be patient and accept each day as an irreplaceable gift, because ultimately, that's all life is. A precious gift. And every morning that I wake up brings a new chance to rejoice in my God who loves me.