Have you ever wanted something so much that you ignored God and the circumstances enough to push to get what you wanted? Then, when you finally had it, your expectations were not met?
Balaam wanted the gold offered to him by the king of Moab. He wanted it enough to downgrade God’s answer of “No, don’t go” to asking God again to let him go to the king. God relented and Balaam went. Numbers 22
Numbers 22:21-27 (NIV) “Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.”
Balaam was so intent on getting his way, he missed all the signs that he really wasn’t to go to the king of Moab. This choice was a result of life choices before and then affected his choices into the future. He was killed by the Israelites when they later fought with Moab.
As we pray for God’s will, God gives us direction through His word, those in our lives who provide godly counsel, and our circumstances.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
God knows our hearts. God knows the plans He has for us…now and into the future. We may not always understand God’s answer to our prayers, but we can always know He has our best in mind. Blessings we cannot even begin to fathom.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
~ Take it to heart ~
God has your BEST in mind! Focus on His way…not your own.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)