Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17
When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,
the spirit of God came upon him,
and he gave voice to his oracle:
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
The utterance of a man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled
Balaam hoped for the riches of defeating a herd of nomads. They looked like the weak and wretched. Balaam was going to have his words written for millenniums on the walls of caves. These invaders looked like cavemen. This was going to be easy peasy. Balaam's blessings were rolllling in. And then Balaam, his gifts given to him by God of All, found this wasn't going to be Balaam's Day.
Can you imagine? Balaam had won the prize. No more waiting in line. And then he looks at the chumps and realizes, "These ARE the Blessed of God." Balaam must have felt like the world looked out of orbit. No, this couldn't be THE EXODUS???
And really, this is the way the unbelievers see listening to men in robes. Who walked. And got dusty. And we are supposed to see Ancient Wisdom????
And we are supposed to believe this is
the Journey Today?
For the Binary World of TODAY???
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;
your encampments, O Israel!
They are like gardens beside a stream,
like the cedars planted by the LORD.
His wells shall yield free-flowing waters,
he shall have the sea within reach;
His king shall rise higher,
and his royalty shall be exalted.
Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle:
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of the man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled.
I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.
Balaam is recorded in the New Testament. Balaam couldn't turn away from the idea of personal gain. Balaam could see the truth and, yet, he turned from the truth. Scripture record to see the truth, demons do see and merely shudder. Balaam plotted to bring the Blessed into ruin.
When the wind swirls,
we have to have faith.
The Children of Israel already did this ruin to themselves. Thinking unhappy thoughts. I'm not Blessed. I'm living in a tent. Like Abraham. I might be hungry tomorrow. Why should I fight for my God given blessings. Things used to be easier. They should be easier. I used to be fed all kinds of things, now I have to rely on God to provide for me. I remember back in the day. Life is too fragile.
My family says we can be a Princess with a Pea in the mattress, or we can find ourselves Blessed. Daily.
Balaam plotted and told the Children of Israel, this: You could be having wild orgies. And having a lot to drink. Let all that is fun be good. You don't have to listen to the old people or that invisible God. Forget the old ways, make life easy. Follow downfall.
The Children of Israel had real problems. Faith told them not to believe the word about town and the giant golden statue of Bull Market.
What was evil, demanded to have comfort increase. Faith asked to hold on for better Godly circumstances. Faith asked to find the Blessings in Today. Evil said that's the old path. Evil said have comfort. Faith said fight the good fight.
Balaam knew what was what, he just moved things around to fit his own narrative. Balaam is not recorded as being eaten by worms. Herod actually was. This decade, we discovered Herod's tomb. Balaam kept on going. The Children of the Blessed just went further. David died in his 6th decade in 1000 B.C., most of the world lived to be 20. Balaam is just words on a wall in a cave in Jordan. Israel exists as a nation. Again after 2,000 years. Be the Children of Israel.
My friend told me, "I just did a Bible Study of seeing what the journey looked like for Israel for 40 years in the desert. I feel so badly. I would have been complaining the most of all of them."
Jesus is Mercy. Jesus would say,
John 1
46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree,
I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God!
You are the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you,
‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe?
You will see greater things than these.”
And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened,
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
God has given us Grace and Mercy.
Salvation in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Our Daily Bread, Manna
John 6:29
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”
Micah 6:8
is a concise but powerful field guide to serving God
When we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, He declares this
is “good” and “what He requires.”
Lamentations 3:22–24
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him.
2 Timothy 4:7
He says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Fighting the good fight of the faith is also about perseverance and continuing, even when the road is hard.
Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Nehemiah 8:10
This day is holy to our Lord.
Do not grieve,
for the joy
of the Lord
is your strength
In the World, not of the world.
Jesus is Living Water.
Jesus hovered over the water in Genesis. Jesus delighted to see the circles of the deep. Jesus led His People out of slavery in the water, by His Word. Jesus parted the water and led the Beloved Children of God on dry land, in sandals that would last 40 years. Jesus was Baptized in the water. Jesus knew the deep and told mankind where to fish. Even as mankind had fears of great waters, all throughout Scripture. Jesus is God. Jesus walked upon the waters. Jesus slept in faith upon the waters and then rose up, to calm the Storm.
In all seasons, Jesus is in our lives. Jesus in your life. Jesus in my life.
We are not God. We live in grace by His grace. The wind will blow. And we will let God be God. And in His mercy, we will pray for and give the mercy He gives us. When we are weary, we will rest in Him. God upholds the Universe. He has the whole world in His Plan. He has the whole world in His Plan.
We seek to find what God calls Joyful. And to hold up those who need prayer. To proclaim God as Love. To speak the truth. To acknowledge truth. To pray for strength in His Body. Holy is the Lord.
Jesus is where we place our trust and are nourished by His Love.
Abba, Father,
Help us to see the wheat
and be the Wheat of God on the days
the weeds seem to choke out
faith.
Help us to reach to You
and find Joy.
Dwell in me, Jesus Christ.
Please dwell in those I love.
In Jesus, help us to seek You first.
We will finish well in Jesus Christ.
Help as our Foundation.
To build and remain in Love.
To accept Love and Know You alone are God.
Not to accept what is not acceptable.
In Joy, to shake off what is not valor.
And in Your Joy
take what the wild winds blow
and find God as Refuge
and Jesus as Peace.
Being bold
and courageous
and enduring in Jesus.
Allowing the difficulties
to give us wisdom
and make way, truth and Life in Jesus Christ
for the people
You have placed in our care.
Let us receive Your Mercy
in our soul
and do as You ask
each day.
By this is love perfected with us,
so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment,
because
AS HE IS
so also are we in this world.
His Mercies Renew
God is our Joy and Strength.
We do not know all You know.
We do not have the omnipotence for a complete prayer.
We can't surround every person
or every issue
to bring the healing we know Jesus does.
You are the Light of Heaven.
Jesus, You are the Light of Nations.
Jesus Christ,
Only Son of the Most High God,
You are the Light of mankind.
We have a heart for the difficulties
facing our own lives,
the lives of those we love,
This Nation,
and Ukraine
and the plight of the Russians.
And in the hearts of mankind
You have delighted in,
we ask Jesus Christ
to be our Blessing,
Teacher,
Healer,
Lord of us all.
God of Love.
God of Encouragement.
We Thank You
for the Blessings
You give us daily.
And ask for You
provide
Grace and Mercy
for our trespasses.
To heal us,
the Healing in our Loved Ones,
to Heal the Nation,
To Bless Ukraine and Russians
with Peace.
Love.
Joy.
Jesus.
Amen in Your Son,
the Highest Name of Jesus,
Amen.
God reminds us
Blessing us with prayers for more Heaven on earth,
His Good Will be done.
To You, our Father, be the Glory
Our God is an Awesome God! Amen
and Alleluia
in Jesus Christ and His Glory!
Matthew 13:31,32
Jesus put before them another parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven
is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.
Although it is the smallest of all seeds,
yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree,
so that the birds of the air come
and
nest in its branches.”
♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †
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