Sunday, July 3, 2011

Lining up with God's Plan

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Num 23:19)

Balak, king of Moab, called the pagan prophet Balaam to curse Israel. Amazingly, the Spirit of God came on Balaam and he prophesied not curses for Israel but blessings. So what did Balak do? Again he commanded Balaam to curse Israel and again, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Balaam blessed Israel. He also rebuked Balak with the words of this verse. Balak should have heeded the rebuke, but a third time he commanded Balaam and once more Balaam uttered a blessing, more powerful than the two before.

Balak thought he would be rewarded for his persistence and his many sacrifices, but he missed one basic point. If what we are asking contradicts God’s plan or his Word, no amount of pleading is going to change God’s mind. As a pagan, Balak thought he could manipulate the gods by bribes and flattery, but the one true God is not like that. In him there is no shadow of turning. (James 1:17) God says, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Is 46:10) He is our Sovereign Lord, and it is our job to be conformed to his will, not the other way around. Lord, help me to see when my desires are out of alignment with your perfect will. I will pray with Jesus, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) I trust your plan for my life, born of your perfect knowledge, wisdom and goodness. Amen.

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