Has God Blessed You?
Reading in Numbers chapters 22-24, and thinking about the power of God’s blessing on His people, here being Israel, but how God chose to also bless the disciples of Jesus Christ a.k.a Christ’s Spirit-filled Church. I began to ponder “the blessing” on me and my family, and all those who are “in Christ Jesus.” Oh what JOY fills my heart to know that because of my faith, hope and love in the eternal life and sacrifice of my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, my Father God has nothing but blessing after blessing for us; that NO CURSE of the devil and his cohorts (people Satan works through) can touch us, nor change the future we have in Christ Jesus! For our Father God has said,
“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember NO MORE!…and since we have the Great Priest (Jesus Christ) over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with full assurance that our faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for HE who PROMISED is FAITHFUL.” Hebrews 10:16-23
Even when my Father God disciplines me – it’s a BLESSING! Painful at the time – YES! But His discipline always produces in me His righteousness and godly character. His painful rod of loving discipline – is His love and reward in my life. This is the power of His love, His perfect love that casts out all my fears!
The account of King Balak summoning the prophet Balaam to curse God’s people for moving through his territory on their way to the land God promised them – relates to God’s people today on the earth living in the world’s nations under the rule of leaders who have rejected the One True God, our time on earth as a “pilgrimage” to our heavenly Promised Land. For Christ promised us that where HE IS we shall also be FOREVER! But for now, we, as it was said of Abraham who pilgrimed through as a stranger in a foreign land – we also look forward to the City with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)
King Balak wanted God’s people cursed by Balaam because Balak feared them. “Come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.” (Numbers 22: 6) Is this not what we see happening all over the world today with God’s people (both Jew and Christian) hated because of God’s favor on us because of His Son’s truth and light in us?
John 3:19-20 “The LIGHT has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the LIGHT because their deeds are evil. Everyone who does evil hates the LIGHT.” 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be unequally with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or, what fellowship does light have with the darkness?”
This is the world of the devil’s, and he is determined to destroy God’s people and in doing so – having nothing in his way to rule over this whole world. And, God will give Satan his day in the sun, although a short 7 years. BUT, as we learn in the account of Balaam: Whom God has blessed it is IMPOSSIBLE for any curse to rest on those whom God Himself has blessed with every blessing He has to give.
This story is very powerful and encouraging to us as God’s ‘faithful’ people, that no matter what we must suffer and endure – WE ARE BLESSED WITH EVERY BLESSING FROM GOD! Even in death, we are BLESSED if we are “in Christ Jesus” safe and secure for the eternity God has prepared for those who love Him.
The Lord met with the prophet Balaam and gave him this message with which to go back and give to King Balak: “God is not human, that HE should ever lie, not a human being, that HE should ever change His mind. Does God speak and then not act? Does God promise and not fulfill? I have received a COMMAND TO BLESS; HE HAS blessed, and I cannot change it! The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the KING is among them.” (Numbers 23:19-20) “How can I curse those whom God has NOT cursed?… I see a people who live apart for God blessed, and do not consider themselves of the nations ((whom God has not blessed).” (Numbers 23:8-9)
Then King Balak, in an outrage, said to Balaam: “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.” (Numbers 24:10-11) Oh really? We might be rewarded by the world, for conforming to their ideologies and idolatries, but the REWARD that awaits the FAITHFUL in Christ, is far GREATER for it is ETERNAL!
2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light and temporary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that far outweighs it all.”
And now my favorite part: Balaam answered Balak: “Did I not say, even if you gave me all the silver and gold in your palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond GOD’s COMMAND – and must only say what the LORD says of His people? Now I am going back to my people, but hear the warning of what God’s people will do to your people in the days to come.” (Numbers 24:10-14) Then Balaam delivers 4 messages (curses) from the LORD about their future destruction.
God has said in His Word what will happen to Satan and all the kingdoms of the world, and God’s wrath and curse on evil rebellion to His Son – will be carried out perfectly, just as God’s blessing and promises for His people will be carried out perfectly with both His Son’s ‘first and second’ coming to the earth.
HALLELUJAH TO THE LAMB! GLORY TO OUR ETERNAL KING!