Survey

Survey is one of our English words that have several meanings for the same word. (This can drive people who are learning English a bit crazy!) First, the word survey can mean, “taking a poll to get opinions or ideas”. It can also mean, “taking a closer look at the situation from all angles to determine the value, condition or maybe the next move”. In my line of work as a REALTOR, we use a survey “to determine the exact form, boundaries, position, extent, etc., of (a tract of land, section of a country, etc.) by linear and angular measurements and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry.”

The people of Israel were about to divide up the land that had been promised them by the Lord. Joshua gathers everyone at Shiloh and starts the process. I sometimes wonder how our American Forefathers determined where state lines and then county lines would be in this vast country. Joshua calls for a survey. Check this out…

4 Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. 5 You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north. 6 After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God. (Joshua 18:4-6 NIV)

Often when I’m showing a home that a family is interested in buying, will call for a plat. The plat shows the exact measurements from one boundary line to another. There is also a legal description of that property that must coincide with the survey so that the buyer knows exactly what he/she is buying and the seller knows what he/she is selling.

I think it’s wise to take a survey of my life. I should check out the boundaries of each area of my life. If I’m not careful, these areas can get out of bounds. I also like the idea of taking a survey of my heart. I believe all my behavior can be traced back to my heart. There are often areas of my heart that I won’t let the Lord have control yet. I sometimes don’t let the people I love the most in every area of my heart. I know what a broken and wounded heart feels like and it’s pretty easy and feels safe to close off part of my heart from outsiders. When the Lord surveys my heart, He certainly sees the parts that I’m keeping from Him. He wants all of my heart. He will help me navigate the wounds and the scars that are there from my past. I must totally trust Him as the Keeper of My Heart.

Pressing On!

Dwayne