Most of us would like to know the secret to understanding God’s will. We want to be obedient to His desires and plans for us. Sometimes it is so clear. We know what God wants us to do. Yet other times, it can seem like such a mystery. What is the best way to know?
This week, I was very much intrigued by the account of Balaam in Numbers 22-23. This poor man usually gets a bad rap for his impatient escapades on a donkey, but I found him to be quite inspiring as I read this time. The first thing that caught my attention was his voice in Numbers 22:18.
“Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.”
He was under pressure from King Balak to speak a curse over the Israelites. However, in the face of extravagant bribes and persuasive nobles, this was his stance. He would not do anything beyond God’s will. Not the smallest thing outside of God’s will. I want to have this kind of attitude.
Balaam was a prophet that worshiped many gods. It is interesting to see how God used him in spite of his entanglement with false gods. The Lord was able to use him because he truly sought to hear from God. He wanted the Lord to give him specific instructions on what to do, and there are several accounts of Balaam’s interactions with the Lord. The Bible says that God “met with him” (Numbers 23:4, 16). Clearly, this is the best way to understand God’s will. To meet with God.
Have you been meeting with God?
We see what happens after Balaam hears from the Lord and then moves on his way. The scriptures are not clear on the details, but Balaam does not fully obey what God tells him (Numbers 22:21-22). The Lord sends an angel to block his way on this unauthorized journey, but Balaam is unable to see what God is doing in his midst. The donkey he’s riding sees the angel and obeys, but Balaam is clueless. He is on a mission to carry out what he thinks is God’s will, but he has disconnected from God and can’t sense the Lord’s leading anymore.
Here is another reminder for us… when we get away from God’s presence, we can’t hear Him as well. We often take what God is communicating to us, put our own spin on it, and run with it. We think we’re doing His will. We need to remember that God’s will comes from His holy heart and mind, and we may not be able to fully understand it right away:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9
It’s not always wise to act immediately on something we’ve heard from God. Why? We are hearing His will through our own filters, and we need to remain with Him as much as possible so that He can lead and guide us. We need to be quiet and let Him speak to us. We need to be sure we have all the details. We need to wait for confirmation. It’s not our job to take His word or His will and run with it. Not only does He fashion His own will, but He is the one that carries out that will. We are only His vessels. More than likely, the instructions that He gives us are to be carried out through us by His own hand. We need to stop working FOR God, and instead, let Him work in us.
So much to learn. I need to remember that meeting with God on a daily basis is the only way to be sure that I am not doing anything great or small beyond God’s will for me.