Knowing and believing God’s promises and that he will not reverse His promises, should be the catalyst for His peace, joy, and confidence to overflow in our hearts.  Knowing God helps us should be seen in our behaviors as we trust God.  But instead of standing of the promises of God, sometimes we work really hard to change His mind when life gets messy and fear overwhelms us.   We slip into unbecoming, unholy behaviors as we bargain with God with efforts to bend His will to fit ours.  When we realize this is futile and a waste of precious time? How many times will we try life on our terms before giving up and giving in to the God who reigns? 

Balak is also a slow learner of God’s ways.  He apparently knows enough of God to be dangerous. He decides he can outsmart God by paying a sorcerer as a mediator to God to get his way with God so he can rout Israel in battle.  Balak, the king of Moab and enemy of Israel, wanted the sorcerer Balaam to use his “ability” to curse Israel.  Balaam tried, not once but SEVEN times; But Balaam could not contradict the word of the Lord because he had blessed Israel, and no one could undo it. The word of God stands. Period. And no one and nothing can reverse, negate, or cancel it. We can be confident that God always keeps his word.

Numbers 23

Balaam’s First Message

Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ² Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

³ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.

⁴ God met with him, and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

⁵ The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”

⁶ So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials. ⁷ Then Balaam spoke his message:

“Balak brought me from Aram,
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’
⁸ How can I curse
    those whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce
    those whom the Lord has not denounced?
⁹ From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
¹⁰ Who can count the dust of Jacob
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
    and may my final end be like theirs!”

¹¹ Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”

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

Balaam’s Second Message

¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.” ¹⁴ So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”

¹⁶ The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”

¹⁷ So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

¹⁸ Then he spoke his message:

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.
¹⁹ God is not human, that he should lie,
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise and not fulfill?
²⁰ I have received a command to bless;
    he has blessed, and I cannot change it.

²¹ “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
    no misery observed in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them;
    the shout of the King is among them.
²² God brought them out of Egypt;
    they have the strength of a wild ox.
²³ There is no divination against Jacob,
    no evil omens against Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
²⁴ The people rise like a lioness;
    they rouse themselves like a lion
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood of its victims.”

²⁵ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

²⁶ Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”

Balaam’s Third Message

²⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.” ²⁸ And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.

²⁹ Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ³⁰ Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We read of Balak’s futile attempts to change God’s mind from blessing His People to blessing him and his nation and wonder; what were you thinking?  But then we quickly realize that sometimes we fall to the same thinking.  We think we know more than God, more able than God and sometimes more important than God.  We feel completely entitled to expect God to do what we want.  Yikes!  But those who defy Almighty God will not win.  Ever. 

Even when we think we are doing all the right things, trusting in God, loving others, there are still those days in our lives when it seems like the bad guys are winning over the good guys; God is still in control of the circumstances and is certainly in the details of doing what God does best for those who love and serve Him in surrender to Him. In fact, as believers we can count on God to ALWAYS:

• Prevail with His Plan when all is said and done.  Philippians 1:6
• Love us no matter what we think, say, or do.  His love never fails.  His love is unchanging and it is forever. Hebrews 13:8
• Be with us and will never leave us. Matthew 28:20
• Guide us with power as His Holy Spirit living in us convicts us of unrighteousness, correct us with His knowledge moving back to us best, comforts us when we are at a loss, experience loss, or need encouragement. His Spirit then compels us to complete the work God has given us to do for our good and His Glory.  John 16:7-13
• Give us directions for His Plan with wisdom to complete it. Exodus 31:3, Proverbs 1:7
• Turn what evil meant for harm for us to what is good for us. Romans 8:28
• Bless those who turn to Him for help.  He is ever present to help those who believe and call on His Name!  Psalm 46
• Forgive us when we come to Him with humbled hearts and ask for repentance in Jesus Name.
• Teach us how to love Him and each other like He loves us—without conditions or judgement.
• Provide our daily needs as He know best.
• Protect us from enemies of evil who try to distract, deceive, or demolish our faith.  We must listen to Him and focus on His Words of Truth.
• Heal in His best way to bring Him glory.  The healing might not come in ways we asked; we can rely on His plan.

These are only a few of the promises of God that are mentioned in His Word.  May we truly be still, let go of what we think, and grab hold of what all God has to offer. God’s Word stands firm and will not change.   Even on our worst days, when the world around us seems hopelessly out of control; God is working behind the scenes on our behalf.  Trust God.  God does not lie.  You can count on Him!  Listen as the Psalmist clarifies the majesty and power of God who loves us:

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging^]

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

⁸ Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46

Lord,

Thank you for allowing us to see the futility of telling you what to do when we should listen and obey what you say.  Thank you for walking with us through the experiences of generations past as great lessons of learning who you are with what you can do—make possible what we cannot imagine!  You are God.  I am not.  I’m yours.  And I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen