March 15, 2024 - I must do whatever the Lord says.

Numbers 22:21-23:30

Luke 1:57-80

Psalm 58:1-11

Proverbs 11:12-13

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Numbers 23:27 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.

I laugh at the way Balak thinks God will change his mind if he keeps taking Balaam to another place. And I appreciate the patience of Balaam to go through the process of having him build the alters and prepare the sacrifices. He could say look God hasn't changed what He said the second time a third time won't change anything. But instead he consistently does the same thing so that Balak will have no reason to say that the response from God did not change because they took some short cut. Sometimes there are people in our lives that don't like what the bible tells them and if we have been given the responsibility to speak a truth to them we may need to be patient and consistent. There is no reason to complain or criticize. There is no reason to raise our voice or get irritated. If we trust God we will be able to remain calm and continue to repeat the same message no matter how many times they ask for us to tell them something different.

Numbers 23:26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”

Don't try to change it, soften it or make it more palatable. We too can tell them the "I must do whatever the Lord says".

Luke 1:63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.

Zechariah was also in a position to do only what the Lord had told him to do. His family and friends questioned what his wife said when she told them that their babies name would be John. It makes sense that they would question her decision to name their son a non-family name. But when they asked the father he did as he was told and affirmed what his wife had said. "His name is John." That is all it took and he was again able to speak. I think there are times that we are told to do something and even though we are not really opposed to what we are told we question it or doubt that it will happen or that we can do what we are called to do. At those times we may experience some things that are unpleasant until we respond. I wonder if there was some doubt in Balaam when he left to go to Balak when God told him to go, or if God knew that he might be tempted to tell Balak what he wanted to hear instead of what God was saying. Why else would he send an angle to stop him?

So, what I have learned today is that I need to listen to God and know His word well enough to be able to speak truth even when someone does not want to hear it if He prompts me to do so. I also think this means that I need to live as Christ would have me live because "I must do whatever the Lord says" is not just words. Balak wanted a curse put on the Israelites but Balaam blessed them. Those are not words but actions. Zechariah was told he would have a son and to name him John. That is an action. The bible is full of actions that we are told to do. If we are living in opposition to any of Jesus teachings, we can expect that we might experience some roadblocks that don't make sense or experience some trouble or discomfort that we don't like. Instead of beating the donkey ask God why and He will tell us. Then we must act and when we do, we will be blessed and set free.