Tag: asking God for help

The LORD God: Past, Present & Future

Numbers 23-25 

Today’s chapters 23-25 (and 22) are like an action movie with a lot of suspense! Balak, King of Moab, looked out at the numerous Israelites camped nearby and was greatly afraid. He called upon a sorcerer to come and curse them, which God didn’t allow him to curse but blessed them! 

Interestingly, Balaam (sorcerer) was confronted three times to go, three times his donkey refused to proceed and was hit, and three times he built seven altars and sacrificed a bull and ram on each (21x). Not sure of the significance of the tresome repeats but does show the intensity of the situation!

The Spirit of God came upon Balaam and he blessed Israel three times. In the three different oracles a meaningful phrase struck me with each one.

  1. “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?” (23:8)
  2. “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.”  (23:19)
  3. “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” (24:17)

These biblical accounts are written in past, present, and future. God has not cursed or denounced the Israalites. God is not a man, nor past nor will be! Lastly, God will have a future dynasty in Israel.

This is not what Balak wanted to hear, but Balaam obeyed God’s command to only say what he was told to say. Unfortunately, he advised Balak further on how he could bring harm to Israel, and his advice unfortunately worked. The Israelite men were seduced by the foreign women to worship their gods, which brought great anger to the God of Israel. Sadly, more than 20,000 were killed in the plague as a result.

Do you have God’s number on speed dial? It’s easy to remember …Jeremiah 33:3

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel.” 

He’s ALWAYS available, never sleeping anytime of the day.

-Stephanie Schlegel

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Who do you call upon for help? Depends what kind of help we need, right?

2. What’s God’s “phone number?”  Do we go to the throne or phone when we need help?

3. Is there something today that you’re afraid of? What care needs to be cast upon Him today because He cares for you?

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The Power of Prayer

A reminder to trust in and rely upon our communication line with God 

Psalm 26, 40, 59, 61-62, 64

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How many times have you faced a situation in your life that caused trouble, evoked anger, or instilled fear? All of us have had these moments, sometimes more days than others, but These Psalms show us that prayer is the most powerful tool that we have as followers of Christ in all sorts of situations and for all purposes.  The things that we are looking for in times of trouble are all things that God can give us if we choose to come before him. In Psalm 26, 40, 59, 60-62, 64, David is a perfect example of how we should be praying to our father persistently, fervently, and earnestly.  David prays for protection, deliverance, justice, and simple intervention in his life, but he also prays to praise his Father and pledge his dedication to him.  Prayer is not just a last-ditch effort for us when things get rough.  Rather, we should model our prayer lives after the example set by this great person of faith who has gone before us.  

Prayer is an open line of communication with God, which allows us to have a beautiful relationship with our father, who is always there to listen to us and hear what we have to tell him. Sometimes, the best time to come to our father in prayer is when we don’t feel like we have a specific reason to pray.  We don’t have to save our prayers for supplication in a time of need.  Prayer can be a wonderful, calming, and empowering thing when it doesn’t come from a place of necessity.  Even when we think we have everything under control, we still need God to intervene in our lives, and even when we are at our lowest point, we still have countless reasons to praise God.  If you feel like you don’t have as strong of a connection with God as you wish you would have, use what you know from the man who God led to conquer a giant.  He is always there for you.  In your prosperity and your weeping, he is always on the other side of the line.  Praise him in the good and in the bad.  Ask for his help in the good and in the bad.  There will always be a reason for both of those things.

I am looking forward to continuing to dive into the Word with you all this week. Consider this an introduction to the remaining devotions we will be walking through together. I leave you with this call to action: 

I wash my hands in innocence,

    and go around your altar, O Lord,

singing aloud a song of thanksgiving,

    and telling all your wondrous deeds.

                               Psalm 26:6-7 NRSV

Let’s strive to have an insatiable faith for God like David. Let us learn to depend upon him, trust in him, and sit at his feet in prayer. And, when he does intercede for you, praise his name. For he is worthy of our thanksgiving. 

-Leslie Jones

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+26%2C+40%2C+59%2C+61-62%2C+64&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be 2 Samuel 19-21 as we continue on our 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan