HIS GRACE IS ENOUGH (Num. 24-25)

What an interesting passage we read in the Old Testament portion of today’s One Year Bible reading. Balaam is an interesting character. If you would only read what these two chapters reveal about Balaam, one might be tempted to think he was a tremendously godly prophet. Balaam tells Balak, king of Moab, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the Lord, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the Lord speaks, that I will speak.” (24:13) What a great disposition! This is a perspective and a passion that every Christ-follower strives to possess.

Yet Scripture reveals more about Balaam. He is characterized as a man “who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a dumb ass spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness” in 2 Peter 2:15-16. It seems he traveled to Balak hoping to gain from his prophecies regardless what they contained. Because Jude also says that certain persons, “abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error” (Jude 11). We have a God Who does not simply observe our behavior but Who also evaluates our heart and our motives. He knows WHY we do WHAT we do. First Samuel 16:7 reads, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “…God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

WHY are you doing WHAT you are doing for the Lord…what motivates you in ministry? Do you hope He will bless your bank accounts? Do you simply want His protection from pain and physical sickness? Are you hoping He will provide you the perfect spouse? What should motivate followers of Jesus is the understanding that He alone is Creator, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and Omega and that He alone has the words of eternal life. The grace He displayed in dying for my sin is enough to fill me with eternal gratitude.