Are you completely open to the will of God? To accomplish this we must maintain fellowship with God by obeying Him while avoiding sin. God speaks to people in many ways, but unfortunately we are not spiritually sensitive enough to recognize His leading. Notice the ways in which God spoke to Balaam.
1. Through His word
Num. 22:12 “And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.”
2. Through circumstances
V23 “And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field:
3. Through infirmities
V25 “And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall:”
4. Through creation
V28a “And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass,”
LESSON - In the NT, we see that God also speaks through the Church and the Holy Spirit. To remain in the will of God we must be cognizant of the following:
1. Temptation often repeats itself and often to greater degrees each time to encourage us to yield.
V15 “And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.”
2. God knows our evil intentions.
V20-22a “And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
And God's anger was kindled because he went” - God knew He had intentions to disobey!
3. There is an unseen world around us striving to keep us in the will of God.
V31a “Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way,”
4. Ultimately, it is God Himself preventing us from accomplishing our task if it works in opposition to God’s will.
V32-33 “And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.”
POINT - We need to decide once and for all to repent of all known sin while submitting ourselves to what we know God would have us to do.
V34 “And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.”
~Mike