Balaam

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Numbers 23:12 Speak Only What God Says

He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?” Numbers 23:12

Speaking is something that nearly everybody does every day. Most often people are allowed to speak their own words in their own way. Outside of general rules of speaking, one can say whatever he desires of his own free will.

Some people speak for others, rather than for themselves. When one is speaking for others, he must be willing to only say what that other person wants him to say. He is not allowed to stray off of what is expected to be said.

Balaam was sent by Balak to curse the Israelites. Instead of cursing he blessed them and Balak was angry. Balaam asked him if he must only speak what God puts in his mouth.

Believers are God’s ambassadors on this earth. They are the hands and mouth of God to those in the world. As an ambassador one is to speak only as God would have him speak.

Anytime a person speaks completely on his own, he is speaking from a finite point of view. He does not always have the bigger, eternal picture in mind, but just the temporary here and now. What he says may sound good, but it is not what God is desiring.

God is willing to give every believer the words to speak that will honor Him and build up His kingdom in the best way possible. Through the Bible and His Holy Spirit, God will give every believer the words to speak. Those words may be to cut down or it may be to bless, but they are the words that need to be said.

Self must be removed and put to the side to allow God to speak through the believer words of life.

Each and every day you will go out and be among other people and have opportunities to talk with them. Allow God to use you to speak into their lives what needs to be said.

Surrender yourself and your words to God so that all you speak will be the words of God, words that will bring Him glory and honor. Do not allow selfish sin to get in the way and say things that do not need to be said or should not be said.

As you speak the words of God you will see God change lives and do great things. His words are alive.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what God wants you to say; that God will give you the courage and boldness to speak His words; and that God will show Himself in His words through you.

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Numbers 22:23 Getting Moved Off The Wrong Path

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. Numbers 22:23

Traveling down the road no one likes to be put on a detour or told that they cannot continue their journey. Detours and stops can sometimes occur because there is danger ahead that will cause major problems if the path is continued.

Many will get angry about the detour and try to force their way through.

Balaam was on his way to curse or bless the Israelites at the request of Balak. On the way his donkey was stopped by an angel, and it turned off the path. Balaam then beat the donkey.

Everyone who has chosen to believe in and follow Jesus is on a path towards holiness and heaven. At times people will choose to take a different path, while still claiming to follow Jesus. They will begin to walk down a path of sin and death.

God, in His perfect love, will put a block on the path to get the person back onto the right path. It could be a donkey, as in the case of Balaam, or it could be something else such as sickness, injury, loss of position or job, or anything else to move the believer off the wrong path.

Instead of getting angry and trying to force the situation to stay on the wrong path, the believer should see God’s hand at work and move. God does not force one off of a path just to be mean, but in order to guide the believer on the right path of righteousness, holiness and what is best for him in light of eternity.

Anytime you begin to stray off the path God has for you He will attempt to put a block in the way. He wants you on the best path possible, not what looks good at the moment.

Do not allow yourself to stray off the path God has for you, whether it is to sin or just to do your own thing. Getting off of God’s path will only lead to frustration, death and destruction.

Seek God’s direction for your life and walk that path. It will lead to holiness, bringing His peace, comfort, and strength.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the path God has for you; that you will trust in God’s leading you; that God will help you to not stray from His path for you; and that you will do God’s will in every area of your life.

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Revelation 2:14 Claiming God While Living In Sin

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Revelation 2:14

The world does not live by any concrete, eternal rules. They live in a way that is do what feels good in the moment, living only for the moment and for pleasure.

All the rules and standards that the world implements changes on a regular basis. Rules change according to their feelings at the moment.

An angel spoke to the church in Pergamum saying that they remained faithful in claiming Jesus, but they also held onto the false teachings of Balaam–pleasing themselves.

It is easy for a person to begin to believe in Jesus and claim that. All it takes is saying a few things. Across America, there are millions who claim to believe in Jesus. However, at the same time, many of those same people are holding to the teachings of Balaam or the world.

Balaam had taught to eat food sacrificed to idols because they were sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. Today people are taught to listen to, watch or participate in things that are offered as sacrifices to idols. They are also taught how to live sexually immoral lives as though it is normal and acceptable to God.

Inside the church there are many who have chosen to follow the ways of the world, while claiming to believe in Jesus. They are willing to follow the same idols that the world follows and live the same sexually immoral lives that the world lives.

Although God appears to allow this for now, there will come a day of severe judgement. Every believer is to live separate from the world, fleeing all sin.

As you claim to believe in and follow Jesus, you must examine yourself to see if you are also following the teachings of Balaam, the teachings of this world.

How willing are you to eat of the food sacrificed to idols because they were sacrificed to idols? How willing are you to live a sexually immoral life?

Turn away from all sin and pursue God and God alone. Do not allow yourself to be enticed to live a sinful life, but live a holy life unto God, otherwise you will have to face the judgement of God’s wrath.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will know how God wants you to live; that God will strengthen you to turn away from sin; that God will open your eyes to the sin the world promotes; and that you will live a true and holy life unto God.

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Numbers 23:12 Speak Only What God Says

River in the autumn

He answered, “must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?” Numbers 23:12

Freedom of speech is something that America treasures. People want to be able to say what they, when they want and how they want to say. This is always seen as personally they want that freedom as an individual alone, not always with everyone else.

Many do not care what another person is saying, as long as it does not offend them personally. As soon as it offends them directly, they no longer want another person to have that freedom to speak.

Balak had called Balaam to put a curse upon the Israelite people. Although Balaam had personal freedom to say whatever he wanted, he stated he could only speak what God says. At the first speaking, Balaam blesses the Israelites. Balak gets, mad, but Balaam reminds him that he could only speak what God has told him to say.

Today many believers are asked to talk, but they are told to say what the people want to hear. The world only wants to hear good news, but not always the full truth of what God is saying. There is bad news to be told, that the world is dying in their sins. The good news is that God loves them and is providing a way out of those sins and death.

As soon as the world hears the bad news, they get offended and angry with the believer. The believer is talking ‘hate’ in the eyes of the world, even though there is love being said.

When this is said against many believers, they change their words to what the world wants to hear. They no longer speak against sinful acts. They refuse to show the real need for a Savior.

Every believer needs to speak only what God is saying. They need to speak it with love, but also with truth. Balak did not want to hear the words Balaam was saying, but it was the truth.

There will be many times you will be allowed to speak to a non-believer. Your words need to be filled not only with God’s love, but with His truth and words also. As with Balaam, do not allow yourself to say anything more or less than what God is saying. Speak only God’s words to this dying world.

Whose words are you speaking, yours, the world’s or God’s words?

I pray today that you will know the words of God; that you will not allow fear of this world to keep you from speaking God’s word; that you will only speak what God says; and that God will give you strength to follow Him and not fear the world.

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Numbers 22:31 Seeing God And His Ways

“Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.” Numbers 22:31

Balaam had been asked to curse the Israelites several times by king Balak. Each time Balaam said he had to go before God and see what He wanted him to do. After the third time, God tells him to go.

As he is riding his donkey on the way, the donkey suddenly stops and pushes up against a wall. In anger against the donkey, Balaam strikes the donkey. God opens the mouth of the donkey to tell Balaam that he (the donkey) was innocent of wrong doing. God then opens the eyes of Balaam to see the angel of the Lord in the road about to strike him down.

Although God allowed Balaam to go with Balak, He was not happy about it. Balaam had pushed God to allow him to go. He knew all along that God did not really want him to go.

People will often approach God in prayer about a situation asking for His permission to have or do something that they really know God does not want them to have or do. They keep praying over and over, until God finally gives them what they are asking for.

Balaam had been greedy about getting some money and was willing to do just about anything to get it, including going against God, even though he said he could only do what God wants.

There may be things in your life that you want. You keep begging God for an answer to that item or situation, while knowing what God really wants. Many times God will finally give it to you.

However, there may be a price to getting it. God may put an angel in your path to strike you down. God may not physically kill you, but He may take something else in your life or allow your life to become miserable.

If you stay in God’s Word and pray daily, you will know God’s will for you life in many areas. When you know that will, do not try to ask God for something outside of it. Don’t push God.

See what God is doing and follow that path. Don’t allow yourself to get struck down.

I pray today that you will see God; that you will know God’s plan for you; that you will follow God’s plans; and that you will stay in God’s favor.