Its a heart thing..

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In Numbers 22 we read that there arose a king- Balak- who felt threatened by the people of God. So he asked a prophet-Balaam- to curse God's special people. The story goes that even after the king, Balak, sent many prestigous people with lots of big, bulging bags filled with wealth to try to convince Balaam to curse God's people, Balaam wouldn't budge-God had told the prophet that they were a people who God was going to bless, no matter who stood against them. After the second attempt, we read that God told Balaam to "arise and go with them, but only the word which I speak to you- that you shall do" (Num. 22:20) So Balaam gets up and goes. However, in the very next verse it says "God's anger was aroused" against Balaam. God sent an angel to blockade his path. When finally God open his eyes, God says to him "I have come out to stand against you because your way is perverse" (Num. 22:32)

Wait. What? Didn't God tell Balaam to go? Wasn't it God who spoke to him to speak all that God would tell him to say?

Yes and yes. But somewhere between Balaam arising to go after the king's men, there was a shift, a change. Physically, Balaam did all the right things. He said no at all the right times to all the right things. He stood when God said stand. God said sit, and Balaam sat. Jump, and he jumped. God said go, Balaam went. But at the heart of the matter, Balaam perverted God's way because he began to have a change of heart. The enticement of all the fame he would receive and the luster and the shine of the wealth promised to him by the king, pushed God out of his focus. So, why did God stand in Balaam's way? What made his way so perverse to God? Though Balaam's actions might have been correct, his heart was filled with greed. His heart was not right with God.

A lot of times, too many to count, I say all the right things. Do all the right things. But my heart heart is speaking and doing the opposite. Yet, as Samuel said to Jesse, God is speaking to me- God doesn't look at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. People might look at me, or even you, and think we've got it all together. But what they don't see, God sees. God sees the times when we sit at service, eyes forward but minds set on the tomorrow's work schedule or Sunday lunch or so-and-so's outfit. God sees. God sees the pride we carry on our shoulders and He hates it, as the wise Solomon says. God sees our hearts. So make it a point this week, to not only watch your deeds and your words, but watch your heart. When you compliment others, mean it with all your heart. Or don't say it at all. Watch if your heart swells up with pride, if it does, make sure you give that God and take time to remember where God has brought you from. And when everything else fails, simply keep your focus on God. Keep your heart on Jesus, the perfecter of our faith.

I know I will be striving to do so. Have a blessed Monday morning!

Sheba

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