God wants to communicate His mind to us per time.He doesn’t want us to fall into errors.Nevertheless,there are hindrances that prevent us from hearing Him.We studied two of them on Sunday.Let me write about the third one today:
3) DISOBEDIENCE
God says you shouldn’t move from location A to location B, but you refuse.You move to location B.Now you want Him to speak to you concerning some problems you are facing in location B.You will only hear His silence until you obey the first instruction He gave to you:’Don’t move from A to B!’
Two complications can come out of this scenario:
- God may speak to you concerning other areas of your life but will keep quiet about the issues bothering on that area where you are disobedient to Him(location B) or he may just allow you do whatever you like.Until you repent,you will receive no further instructions from Him.
- You become prone to errors and mistakes in location B because you are now in an ‘autorun’ mode where you are allowed to do what is in your thoughts/mind.Such was the case of Balaam.
Balaam was a non-Isrealite prophet employed by Balaak(The king of Moab) to place a curse on the Israelites.A powerful delegation was sent by Balaak to deliver the ‘contract’ to the prophet:
“Balaak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him”-Numbers 22:7
At this point,Balaam’s mind was still with God therefore he was willing to know the will of God on this issue:
“Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam”-Numbers 22:8
What did God tell him that same night?
“God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”-Numbers 22:12
Right away,God told Balaam:”Don’t move!Don’t leave your location to follow these people to another location”.
God doesn’t want us to make mistakes so it doesn’t take Him years to let us know His mind concerning issues of choice.Most times,even before you pray,He would have communicated His mind to you.The problem is that His thoughts don’t usually align with your thoughts so it takes time for your mind to receive such revelation.
Balaam obeyed God and those officials left to report to the King that sent them.
“Then Balak tried again.This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time”-Numbers 22:15.
External pressures make many disobey God.’I wouldn’t have started this relationship if not for his Daddy and Mummy that begged me’ or ‘I didn’t want to go but some people prevailed on me’.Don’t you have your own conviction?What has God told you?Don’t you know it is better to disobey men than God?
“But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God” vs 18
Superficial reading of the above verse gives you an idea that Balaam didn’t want to go.He wanted to go!It is the same way many say A but in their hearts they are planning B! There is a big difference between what you think and what you voice out most times.Many times,your thoughts are not in sync with what you say.
“But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me”-vs 19
What can you make out of what Balaam said? Let me analyse this verse by asking some questions:
- If Balaam was not willing to go with them,why did he want them to spend another night in his house? For what? Why perceiving the aroma of a pepper soup you wouldn’t eat? Truly,his mind was already made up to go,he only wanted God to endorse his going! God had knew about this.
- “I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me”.What else did Balaam want God to say beyond the first instruction he gave to him? He actually wanted God to modify the instruction from ‘Don’t go’ to ‘Go, but don’t curse them!’ He wanted God to lead him into something he wouldn’t be able to handle.
Meanwhile,Jesus asked us to pray: ‘Lead us not into temptations’.God won’t lead you into something He knows you are not matured to handle but disobedience can lead you there!
“That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do”-vs 20
Let me quote a New Testament version of what God did in vs 20:
“They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness.While claiming to be wise, they became fools…Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves-Romans1:21-22,24
God knew the futility of Balaam’s thinking,so He gave him over to the lusts of his heart.
Are you living in disobedience to personal instructions God gave you:
‘Don’t marry this man/woman’,’Don’t sleep around’,’Don’t travel now’,’Humble yourself’,’Pray and study my word more’,’Give some cash out’,’Preach my word’etc.
These instructions came in subtly but you shrugged them off.You went ahead to do the opposite of what God said and now you are in a fix.I challenge you to go back to the last instruction God gave you before you encountered the present difficulties.You no longer hear His voice because you are living in disobedience!
Obedience to the instruction He gave you can open the lines of communication again.
My prayer is that you receive grace to obey His instructions today.Amen.
Shalom.