Few in Number, of Little Account, and Sojourners

Bigger is generally considered to be better. We pick that which has the best reputation, the 5-star reviews. And we see the value of standing out, by fitting in - unique, just like everyone else. And yet, in this song of praise from Israel’s history, when David had become king, and worship (and the ark) was moved, finally, to Jerusalem - there is a note in the song that at one time, this is who they were; few in number; of little account; and sojourners.

In our corner of this world system, we are accustomed to how things are evaluated, chosen, and valued. In order to make it, you need the high test score, or athletic success. You need to learn the art of being known (gain followers?), and you need to know and be skilled in how things work. But God … (those most important and treasured words in the Bible) - But God doesn’t work that way. He specializes in seeing the overlooked; in noticing the invisible; of including outsiders. Which means? There is hope for people like you and me.

Could it be that God already has his eye on you? Is it possible that He has already been shaping your past and your present, so that you would walk in the knowledge of Him (since, as we’ve hinted, He already knows you)? Has He been invading your thoughts, troubling your conscience, or alerting you to something missing? How would He do such a thing? Perhaps through a casual conversation; a question that begs asking, or begs answering; a line from a song, or a phrase from Scripture; or even a written piece by a fellow, lone soul, of no account, and a sojourner.

Ravi Zacharias writes about God, calling Him “The Grand Weaver.” He shows how God, throughout our lives, - how He threads and weaves experiences and thoughts and conclusions into our mundane lives, into our short attention spans, that we might discover the wonder of the grace of God. We might be tempted to credit ourselves with the discovery, but in honor of God, the Grand Weaver, we must admit that He discovers these things to us. 

We might be tempted to think that God would notice us simply because we are so central to ourselves. But we know better. He who is central to self is necessarily peripheral to everyone else. Or we might think that God  can’t help Himself, given our attraction-quotient. Or, maybe, honestly, God’s grace includes the few, the unnoticed, the outsiders.