Tag: God’s decisions will not change

Why You Should Trust God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-04-02
WRITTEN AT: Astatula, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 23:19
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 19 God is not a man;
    he will not lie.
God is not a human being;
    his decisions will not change.
If he says he will do something,
    then he will do it.
If he makes a promise,
    then he will do what he promised.

APPLICATION: Balaam was invited to spend some time with a very powerful king – Balak, even though Balaam would not commit to do what Balak was inviting him to do – curse the Israelites. As a committed child of the most high God, Balaam would only commit to the king that he would obey instructions from his Master, the God of all gods. Knowing his experience with other subjects in his kingdom, Balak felt like he could take his chances with Balaam, because he would probably change his mind when he experienced being under the king’s care, just like others did in the past. Now let us pause for just a moment and consider where our weaknesses are, and what we may have done if invited by the King/President/Queen/Prime Minister of our country. I wonder! First, there will probably be pride to deal with, because we hardly ever hear of someone being invited to participate with, or give advice to, the king. Second, we will need to overcome the thought of trying to impress the king. Often we will cross over most borders in order to impress a person in authority. Thirdly, might be the desire to exaggerate, or perhaps lie, to gain favor with the king, for we feel like he must know that we are the best available to him! I would suggest that you read the full chapter 23 so that you could see the context which our focal verse derives from. You will quickly see that Balaam did none of the above. He was up front with the king, and he followed his initial words during his full encounter with the king. But I want us all to fully see and understand the reason Balaam gave for trusting God. Remember, his aim was probably to help the king understand more about the King of the Universe, the One he called Master; God; eternal Father, etc. No doubt Balaam felt the king may have seen how people lied to get their own way, so Balaam started by telling the king that God is not a man and He never lies. In man’s eyes, one could easily assume, based on previous experience, that man will say what he wants to get what he wants. Balaam assured the king that God is not like that, and he would never change what He has already committed to. Normally mankind will try to affirm his message by promising something attractive. This is not needed by God, for His promises are true and He gives us no reason to doubt his promises. Friends, our God hasn’t changed. He’s still very much like Balaam described. He is faithful and true to all that He has promised us, including the plans He has for our eternal home. As we aim to mirror the life of our Father and His Son, we must strive for the same perfection Balaam saw in God. How are you doing with that? Let us place our faith and trust in Jesus our Lord, and seek to obey His commands and follow His example so that the world might see, and believe.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God is still uniquely God. We can trust in Him to be who He said He is, and we can depend on Him to help us be His example here on earth!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for setting the perfect example for us. Please give us strength and boldness to strive everyday to follow in Your footsteps. Others are searching for the God who can make a difference in their lives. May it be so evident in our life that family and friends will see and believe to a point of accepting You as Lord. Balaam was true to You, and we want to do the same. Please embolden us each and every day to stand tall and be committed to being just like our Father. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

God Keeps His Promises

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Promise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-06-28
WRITTEN AT: Tucumcari, NM

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 23:19
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 19 God is not a man; he will not lie.
God is not a human being; his decisions will not change.
If he says he will do something, then he will do it.
If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.

APPLICATION: For the one who receives a call that their child has just been killed in an auto crash, they will be devastated and have a lot of questions for God. For the one who has great plans for retirement, but loses their spouse near the end of their working years, they may question God. And, of course, for the one who lays on a bed of affliction knowing that there is no medical help for their condition, I’m sure it must be challenging to lay there and praise God. These are just a few examples of how we relate to the supreme God when life is not going the way that we feel like it should. King Balak was in a similar dilemma, for he knew that the extremely large body of Israelites approaching his nation could very easily wipe them out and do what they wanted with his land. But he was the king, and he could order people around at will. He always got what he demanded. Balak soon found that as oddly as it may seem, there were certain children of God that would do what God told them, verses the offers, money, promotions or threats from any earthly king. Balak realized the power of God working in Balaam, that’s why he called for him to come and demand a change in the course of the Israelites. However, what Balak didn’t account for was the fact that true, dedicated children of God will do what He says, regardless what any earthly human demands or threatens them with. Does that sound like you my friend? Will the threat of beatings, killings or imprisonment prompt you to change your commitment to God? As in my earlier examples, will something related to a family member cause you to turn against God, or draw you closer to Him? Notice that regardless of the intimidation of the king, Balaam stayed true to his Master, and persisted in following the Word of God. Friends, do you know without a shadow of doubt that your Redeemer lives, and that He rules in your heart and life, regardless of earthly circumstances, and/or visual happenings all around you? Are you willing to stand firm on the Word of God, and on the direction that God is leading you in, even if you know that it will meet with man’s dislike and/or opposition? Balaam assured his king, and we are assured from God’s Word that our God will keep His promises, for His word is always true and always honored. Paul said, to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord, and that was his ultimate goal. If that’s your goal today, then I believe that you too can stand firm on God’s Word and know that His promises are true.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God is true to His Word and will fulfill that which He has promised. As His child, we are assured eternal life in Heaven with He and the Father. Don’t let anything on earth come between you and our awesome God!

PRAYER: What an awesome reminder from Balaam in our Bible story today! Our God is true, and He expects us to be true to Him. There are thousands of promised You gave us in Your Word, Lord, please give us strength and determination to stand firm in our faith as we spend our remaining time here on earth. Balaam faced fierce testing of his faith, and we face the same in one form or another each day that we are around Satan’s earthly army. Oh that we will love and honor You Jesus with all of our heart, soul and mind, until the day You call us home to glory! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!