June 23, 2008

God's Will or God's Permission?

I was reading the story of Balaam and asked my friend Kim how it related to us personally. I am sure you have friends that you just like to bounce stuff off of. If you read the story in the Numbers 22 focusing on verses 12-20, 12 But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!” 13 The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s officials, “Go on home! The Lord will not let me go with you.”

14 So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.” 15 Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time. 16 They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me. 17 I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!”

18 But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God. 19 But stay here one more night, and I will see if the Lord has anything else to say to me.” 20 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.”

In the previous verses, Balak sent his officials to get Balaam. They wanted Balaam to come and give them a word and to curse the Israelites. Balaam was one of God’s prophets much like many of us are His children. Because he was God’s chosen Balaam couldn’t do what they requested without seeking the will of God in the situation. Verse 12 gives us God’s answer to Balaam. He said “NO”! He even went so far as to tell Balaam why. You will then see that Balaam went and told Balak’s officials what the Lord said, but much like Satan, Balak did not just give up. He heard what was said and sent his officials (demons) back to Balaam with a more enticing offer, an offer that he did not think that Balaam could refuse.

Satan like Balak often sends us offers that he thinks will be to much for us to refuse, offers that will cause us to compromise our relationship with God or to just fail to completely follow the path He has established for us, settling for a partial rather than a complete blessing.

Well when Balak sent his officials back the second time Balaam went back to the Lord again to see if He had anything more to say. God has spoken on some situations in many of our lives and we have gone back to Him with the same questions because we were not really satisfied with His first answer. For some reason we thought maybe God did not understand the question the first time. Maybe God did not see that there was a blessing in this for us.

What was Balaam’s error? Was his error asking for the will of God? No, Balaam learned the will of God the first time he asked the question. God was clear and very specific in His response to Balaam to the point of even explaining why He would not allow Him to go, yet Balaam went back and asked again. I was reading a book by Terry Nance that suggested, the second time Balaam went to God he was not seeking God’s will, but rather God’s permission to do what he wanted to do.

How many of us have already discerned the will of God, but we were not satisfied because we thought we knew better or we were over come by the desire of our flesh, so we kept pressing God on the issue until He allowed us to do what we wanted to do? God was not in it and He was not blessing it but He allowed it because we kept pressing Him about it.

I am not talking about stuff we never ask Him about in the first place. I am talking about the times when we think we are doing the right thing. We went to God with our request, the only problem is, He has already answered us on the matter, but we think He might have changed His mind. You want to date a certain man or woman, but God has already told you NO, and even identified the mate that He has for you, but you keep pressing Him on it until He lets you go your own way.

You want a certain job, because it has high pay and low hours, but God has already told you that He has called you to ministry to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, but you keep pressing Him on it. You are not trying to discern the will of God you are trying to change His mind and get His permission to move forward with your agenda.

How many of us have established ourselves and found ourselves unhappy or in a bad situation because we went after what we wanted instead of what God wanted for us? We got His permissive will, the just good enough when He had intended to establish us with a world wide international ministry, we ended up with a job. We got His permission, but we did not get His favor or His blessing.

What can we learn from Balaam? Ask God, seek His will for your life in every situation and then trust that He knows what is best for you. It may not look the way you think it should. It may not be the path full of bling, bling, fame or fortune. It may not be the spouse that runs behind or bows to your every need and whim, but in the end if you get what God has for you, you will be blessed. Recognize that with His will goes His favor and blessing. In Numbers 23:19, the bible says, 19 God is not a man, so he does not lie.

He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? The will of God for your life and the lives of those around you is constant. Listen to what He says and be obedient to it. It is not the right time, not the right relationship, not the right job, not the right church, not the right situation for you, wait and let God establish you recognizing that His plan for you is perfect and just like a loving Father, He does not withhold His blessings from those who diligently seek Him. Walk in the will of God, don’t just get His permission to do what you want to do.

Weekly Scripture:
Numbers 22:12-20:
 12 But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!” 13 The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s officials, “Go on home! The Lord will not let me go with you.” 14 So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

15 Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time. 16 They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me. 17 I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!”

18 But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God. 19 But stay here one more night, and I will see if the Lord has anything else to say to me.” 20 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.”

New Beginnings 2008 Workout Focus
10,000/steps per day or 70,000/steps per week Walking Program*

This is the fitness opportunity that New Beginnings is promoting for 2008. It is simple and easy and almost everyone can participate at whatever level of fitness they are at. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes, comfortable clothing, a pedometer, and you're all set.
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