Numbers 23:19 – “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”  NKJV

I love the story of Balak and Balaam.  I do not like the story because of what was attempted but because of God’s incredible wisdom.  Balak was paying Balaam to curse Israel; each time Balaam would stand to do what he was being paid to do, the Lord would put a blessing in his mouth.  This infuriated Balak, and finally, Balaam uttered the words of our text. 

Remember when Saul, the King disobeyed the directive of Samuel the prophet in 1 Samuel?  I love Samuel’s way of approaching issues.  Saul had defeated the Amalekites and Agag, their king, and rather than being obedient, he spared the king and took his livestock for spoil, contrary to God’s directive through the prophet. 

Samuel showed up, and Saul gloated about his great victory and obedience to God’s directive.  Samuel looked around and asked, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”  “Saul, if you had been truly obedient, I wouldn’t be hearing this.” 

Saul protested that he did it to bring the livestock to sacrifice to the Lord, and the prophet said, “Be quiet!”  He let Saul know that God was not the least bit interested in his justifications for disobedience.  In 1 Samuel 15:22, he uttered words that should resonate with us daily, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” 

This reminds me of the pastor struggling with what to do, and one of his little ladies said, “Pastor if God tells me to jump through a hole in the wall, it is my business to jump and His business to make the hole.”  William Burton McCafferty used to say, “God can pull us through anything if we can stand the pull.”  Obedience is our business making the way where there seems to be no way, Gods.  

Paul’s message to the Philippian church is revealed in his declaration in 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” and in 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.”  It is our responsibility to OBEY.   We do not have to understand it all or even see how it will all work out.  We are to OBEY.  That obedience is out of a heart of love and confidence that God is God and will do what He does and NEVER FAILS.

Let me caution you.  I have tried to jump through some walls I wanted God to tell me to jump through, and He had not.  The result was some severe headaches and pains from trying to run through a troop and leap over a wall He had not directed me to do.  However, there have been many times when I knew in my spirit that He had given me a directive, and it seemed impossible.  In those times when I leaped, he made the hole, and victory was realized. 

Our problem, too often, is that we are not listening to that still small voice of the Spirit of God and going with what we think ought to happen or what we have been told.  We need to develop ‘spiritual hearing’ and become Obedient in all things and at all times.  It is daunting to see the wall, hear the directive to jump, and see no hole through which to go.  Yet, it is incredibly exhilarating to take a flying leap, and suddenly there is a hole for you to go through, a supernatural move of God.

If we can trust Him for our salvation.  If we can believe He created the heavens and the earth.  If we can believe that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins.  If we believe that He loves us with everlasting love, and it truly is His pleasure to give us the kingdom, why is it difficult to be obedient?  I need no credit for anything attributed to me as having accomplished in life for all that I am, all that I have, and all that I have done is the result of being Obedient and His moving on my behalf.

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!