I Know Who You Are

2.27.2010

Numbers 22:31-32 32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. ESV

2 Peter 2:15-16 says, “They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” And Jude 11 says, “For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.” (ESV) Balaam was a bad dude with bad motives and bad intentions fueled by greed. His relationship with the Lord was phony at best and he was really driven by what he wanted – his story is as common to man as dandelions are to yards in the spring.

The difficulty of this passage in Numbers is that what we read doesn’t necessarily reveal all of the facets of the characters involved; but the bottom line is this: God knows the secrets and the motives of the heart – no matter what, and no matter whose.

My motives are known to the Lord and I can say things like, Father, lead me and guide me and help me to do Your will! And all the while fool myself into believing that He really can’t see what I’ve hidden in my heart. The evidence of that is when I say I surrender to God total control of my life and yet continue to make decisions to the contrary. God is not dumb, blind, or fooled…

The best practice for me is to use the energy that I expend to try to fool God to just be honest and admit my mistakes and my propensities and let the chips fall where they may from there. Then I don’t have to fight a losing battle and suffer the subsequent defeat in trying to outsmart God or, the worst of all, recreate Him into the god of my own making who’ll excuse my folly or wink at my sin.

Father God,

Your servant David wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps 139:23-24) You knew his heart and You know mine – lead me in the way everlasting that You may be pleased with what You see – in Jesus’ Name, amen.