Counting/Keeping Track

Counting, but not Keeping Track – God works in the most mysterious ways. I was searching for the Scripture for this Sunday and decided to turn to the lectionary passage of Psalm 14. Well, somehow I missed Psalm 14 and ended up one book previous, the book of Job. Not paying attention, I read the 22 verses of Job 14 thinking it didn’t sound very Psalmy (It’s my page. I can make up words if I want to.). I soon found out my mistake and went to the proper text to prepare for the rest of the week.



There was something about that 14th chapter in Job though that kept calling me back. Verse 16 reads, Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. Wow! Read that two or three more times slowly before you move on. Take a moment to drink it in.



Counting One’s Steps – It carries all the meaning of one who is watched over and cared for. God will count my steps. He knows everything I have done, am doing, and will do! I can never be apart from His presence. There is no mountain too high, no valley too low, no sea too broad, but He will find me.



Counting steps gives the connotation of knowing one’s target’s exact location – so many steps, so many turns, so many more steps. That is absolutely awesome. What that tells you and me is that in our darkest moment, when we feel the most alone, we are not alone at all. The one who is greatest and strongest, who is able to comfort and console is by our side every step of the way, regardless of how high the count goes.



Not Keeping Track of One’s Sin – The amazing teaching of the passage is not that God does not keep track of one’s sin, or that God counts are every step. No, the amazing part of that passage is that they are both true at the same time! God does not become a forgetful grandparent when it comes to our sin. No, He consciously decides not to keep accounts.



Keeping accounts is what you and I do. It is talking about forgiveness, pretending that we have forgiven, but if the offender steps out of line again, the current sin is added to the heaping pile of all the previously “forgiven” sins the same offender has committed. You and I rarely forgive. We simply put people on probation, and we are the probation officer!



How blessed are we that God doesn’t operate that way!? I don’t know why He doesn’t. I don’t know He couldn’t. I am so thankful that He does. Your Heavenly Father doesn’t give you His not-again sigh when you come before the throne of grace! No, He welcomes you home as a child, recognizing that this is the place where children belong, with their Father! What greater comfort could there be? What greater provision could we ask for to meet our desperate need!



Pastor Craig