Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Gods Wants Us To Love And Think Like Him

Numbers 22:32-33 -   The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.  The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”

We don’t know much about this man Balaam…except that he had a relationship with God that allowed him to converse with him at will...and he had a reputation for blessings and curses that brought messengers from Balek…asking for him to curse the Israelites. It would have brought Balaam more wealth than he had ever dreamed of having in his life.

It is also a confusing story…for God had told Balaam once never to go with these men…but the second time he asked God…he told him it was okay to go...just to make sure that he spoke only what God said to speak. BUT…that very day…God got so angry at him for going he set an angel in his path…ready to turn him back. His donkey saw the angel and tried to protect him…only to be beaten. Then …in one of the most strange miracles of the Bible…the donkey speaks…and Balaam’s eyes are finally open to the angel….who lets him go past with yet another warning to speak only what God tells him.

God had said no…that should have been it.  We are not given the details of Balaam’s conversation the second time these men came offering him so much wealth…only that God told him it was okay to go. Perhaps my confusion...and the reason for God’s anger was that he knew deep down Balaam wanted to go. Perhaps he really did not understand the hugeness of his choice to go with these messengers…or the dangers of letting his heart be swayed by all that material wealth. I am sure that he did not realize it would cost him his life in the end…I peeked at Joshua…or be used so many times in the Bible as a reference of what not to do later. Read 2 Peter 2…Numbers 31 and Revelation 2.

As I took notes on what I was reading last night…I wrote in the margin…God wanted him not to want to go. Jeremiah 10:9-10 says it clearly… "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. God knows what we are thinking….in the deepest parts of our heart.”  God knows when we are just doing what we have to.  He wants the total sell out…the whole of our being…so he can control all those fleshy desires that get us in trouble like they did Balaam.


Father…thank you for the reminder that you want all of my heart.  Forgive me for the pieces of my heart that I have knowingly or unknowingly withheld from you.  Show me how to let go of any pieces that keep you from controlling my whole being…so that you can help me love and think like your son…who following your will….gave his very life ...even though he had asked that the cup of death be taken from him.  Amen.

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