When I was twelve years old, I moved to a new city and a new house. It may seem like no big deal, but it was! I moved from a tough city in Los Angeles, where we lived in a two-bedroom apartment to a nice city in Orange County, CA and a house with a pool and jacuzzi! It was a BIG change! However, that was nothing compared to the new friendship I was about to make at the age of twelve years old. Apparently, change is a good thing and God usually has some fun surprises in store with change.
In this new house and new city, I met a new neighbor, Joanie. She was much older but that wouldn’t matter. Her friendship and love would literally change the path of my life. Don’t ever underestimate a move or a new friendship, no matter your age, because Joanie was thirty and I was a twelve-year-old tween.
Change is a good thing and God usually has some fun surprises in store with change.
By the time I was fourteen years old, I had given my life and heart to Jesus. I was also studying the Bible with Joanie. It was in that Bible that I learned how special the number twelve was to God.
Here are a FEW ways God shows us how special the number twelve is to Him from the Bible:
God established the TWELVE tribes of Israel. They have some funny and hard-to-pronounce names, but give them a try: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, Gad, and Naphtali. See Genesis 49:28, 49:1-27, and Numbers 1:5-15.
Jesus was given TWELVE friends, handpicked by God. Their names are a little easier to pronounce - Brothers: Peter & Andrew; Brothers: James & John; Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James-the son of Alphaeus, Simon-the Zealot, Judas-the son of James, and Judas Iscariot-the one that who would betray Jesus. See Matthew 4:17-22 and Luke 6:13-16.
In the New Jerusalem that will come from heaven, there will be TWELVE foundations that will have the twelve names of Jesus’ best friends. Plus, this new city will also have TWELVE gates, made of pearl. These will have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. See Revelation 21:2,14, 12-13, 21.
Jesus did many miracles, but it is so neat when we get details of the people He healed and cared about. Here are two of my favorites that mention the special number TWELVE from the book of Luke 8:41-56:
Jesus healed and resurrected a TWELVE-year-old girl who died while He was on His way to her house. Whoa! This story is so cool!
Jesus healed a woman who was sick and had been bleeding nonstop for TWELVE years. So sad until she met Jesus!
As you can see, the number twelve is pretty special! Not just to me, but to God! I will never forget the summer I turned twelve, because God introduced me to a special friend that would change my life for all eternity.
What’s your favorite number?
I hope this blog encourages you to not be afraid of a move or changes. I also hope that you start noticing special details that are in the Bible, like some of God’s favorite numbers. Everything in the Bible is important. YOU are important to the Lord, no matter how old you are or what is happening in your life. Trust Him, look for the Lord Jesus in the little and big things of life, and don’t be afraid to “touch Him,” (see Luke 8:41-56). He longs to heal YOU, too, whether you are TWELVE or twenty-one. 😉
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 NKJV
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