The Manifold Grace of God (Numbers 4:49)
According to the commandment of the Lord through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.
—Numbers 4:49
I love this picture at the end of Numbers 4. The whole chapter describes different people and the distinct duties God gives them among his people—unique responsibilities entrusted to each. It is a beautiful picture of what we later see in the New Testament. I think of 1 Corinthians 12, the church as the body of Christ, where every member is important, each possessing gifts and skills given by God’s grace, and each having different opportunities to display that grace. No one is the same, yet all work together to build up the body of Christ.
That is what is happening in Numbers 4: different people with different tasks and responsibilities, all working together. No one person has it all; no one person is more important than the others. Instead, the whole body works together.
I want to encourage you with this: as you think about your life as a follower of Jesus, you are gifted by the Holy Spirit. You have unique gifts, skills, and a unique makeup for building up God’s people. Ephesians speaks of the beauty of the body when each part is working properly for the accomplishment of God’s mission in the world. So do not underestimate the part you have to play—the duty, role, and responsibility God has given you in his church. Make the most of it. Do all that God calls you to do as part of his body, in a specific local church where, I hope, you are a committed member, and as part of the broader body of Christ.
Oh God, we praise you for your unique grace in each of our lives. Help us, we pray, not to underestimate that grace in any way. Help us not to miss the unique gifts, skills, and opportunities you have entrusted to each of us.
And God, help us not to overestimate ourselves, as if we are more important than we are. Help us to realize that we are beautifully important to you as your children, and that our identity is found in you—not in our usefulness or in what we do.
At the same time, you have given each of us gifts for the building up of the body of Christ and the spread of the gospel in the world. So we say today, based on your Word in Numbers 4, that we want to play whatever part you give us to play in building up the local churches of which we are a part. Use us to strengthen these churches with the gifts you have given us, and to build up your global church—to lead people to Jesus around the world and to help the church be strong and healthy.
Oh God, please use each of us toward that end.
A Prayer for the Najdi Arabs
As we think about praying for the unreached, we pray today for the Najdi Arabs of Saudi Arabia—more than 13 million people, with only a handful of followers of Jesus. God, we pray for those Najdi Arab believers, our brothers and sisters among them. Please bless, strengthen, help, lead, guide, and embolden them for the spread of the gospel. And help us to join them.
When we consider the billions of people who have little to no knowledge of your love in Jesus, we know that we all have a part to play in changing that. You have not saved any of us to sideline us in your global mission. So help us to play our parts—whatever you call us to do, wherever you call us to live—making disciples who make disciples who make disciples, until all the nations, including the Najdi Arabs, are reached with the good news of your love in Jesus.
Oh God, please help each of us, by your unique grace, to play the unique part you have given us in your church and in your kingdom—for your glory, for the good of others, and for our joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
