Daily Bible Readings YLT March 13th

Balaam as a prophet of God must only say those words which God says to him. "Go with these men; and only the word which I speak unto thee - thou dost speak." Balak, the King of Arad, the Canaanite, thinks that God can be demanded of to do as Balak requires Him to do. All he has to do is give sacrifices as Balaam instructed him to do. He is used to bribing, or demanding what he wants from people. With Baal likewise. But surely he is led astray, as the Sadduccees had been told by Jesus, by his lack of knowledge of the Scriptures and the power of God, as is the case of many rulers on this earth.Balaam speaking in the Spirit declares that the true and living God is not " a ,man - and lieth - And a son of man - and repenteth! Hath he said - And doth not do it? And spoken - and doth He not confirm it?' (Numbers 23:19) God's word is truth.It is a characteristic of unredeemed human beings that we lie. Isaiah when confronted by the glory of God, confesses "I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips". The way of the world is the way of lying. Satan was a liar from the beginning and holds the world in his sway, but Jesus says, "Fear not! For I have overcome the world"We are to be discipled to know God and to have our minds renewed to think in line with God and not in opposition to Him. Can two go together except they agree? Then our speech should be as God intends if we give the throne of our hearts to His Holy Spirit that out of the fullness of the heart the mouth may speak, a fullness which is God not ourselves. Jesus also tells His disciples that when they are delivered up to to sanhedrims and synagogues and to governors and kings, they are not to be anxious beforehand what they "may speak, nor premeditate, but whatever may be given to you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye who are speaking but the Holy Spirit."For the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophesy.Balaam says: "An affirmation of him who is hearing saying of God - And knowing knowledge of the Most High; a vision of the Almighty he seeth, Falling - and eyes uncovered: I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab And hath destroyed the sons of Sheth." Numbers 24;17Much folly is spoken about God through lack of knowledge of the Scriptures and the power of God. It is said by many that God is in control of all that happens on the earth and those who dwell on the earth live in God's control, that everything that happens within a human life is according to God's will. God is in control, they say.In this philosophy, which is false thinking, God can be blamed for every evil thing that happens. Those who think like this, when a terrible event happens in our lives, must either say: 'It is God's mysterious will - we cannot understand His ways" or condemn God who did not intervene and prevent this happening, for, they say, 'God is in control and intends all things which happen to us.' Not so! God indeed acts within history to bring about His will but with human beings it is not so. While He has had a plan of redemption in place from before the creation of the earth, in Jesus to provide a way of rescue, " A star hath arisen from Jacob, and a sceptre has risen from Israel," in our individual lives we choose according to the choices before us and if we know God, we can be guided in those choices, but if not, then the choices will be wayward as we are wayward. Walk in the light as He is in the light. 1 John 1:7