Revelations 22:12-21

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Read Revelations 22:12-21 Verses for meditation: Revelations 22:12-13, 16, 20-21 ESV: 12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Reflect How does it feel to be reading the very last few verses of the bible? What do the proclamations, the last few of them, say about Christ? Come, Lord Jesus! Does this really express our desire? How does the greatest book end, and on what note? But is this really the end? Relate With mixed feelings, I'm writing this last devotion based on the final ten verses of the greatest book, the bible. What a journe...
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Numbers 22-24 Psalm 88

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READ


Numbers 22-24 Psalm 88

Verses chosen for devotion


20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 22 But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 


27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 


REFLECT


Balaam was a non-Israelite “prophet” highly regarded by the King of Moab and we read in the passage that the Lord spoke to him as well. But what happened here was that he apparently declined to do what was told by Balak as in accordance to God’s instruction. When the princes of Moab approached him the second time with greater honour and promises from Balak, Balaam was instructed by the Lord to go with them with a condition to only do what would be told by the Lord. Why would it then kindle God’s anger (v22) when Balaam acted according to God’s instruction to set out his journey to visit Balak? An angel was also sent to stand in the way of the journey which was initiated according to the instruction of the Lord. But perhaps Balaam was not as simple as he acted out to be, taking instructions purely from God to bless Israel. Perhaps he was tempted by the honour and benefits promised by Balak and he was not planning to do what has been instructed by the Lord. God knows his heart and hidden intention. His wickedness was later revealed in Numbers 31:16 where Balaam misled the Israelites to act treacherously against God. Revelations 2:14 recorded how Balaam taught Balak to lead Israelites into idolatries. He was eventually killed under the sword of the Israelites when the Lord avenged the people of Israelites on the Midianites (Numbers 31:8). Balaam has a wicked heart and intention and God knows it!


Verse 28 is an interesting one, a defiant and a talking donkey.  Why was the donkey able to see the angel while Balaam and his servants were blinded to this? Was God choosing the lowly animal to shame her master (by acting defiant and even speaking back at him)?  Balaam should have realized something was amiss (God’s warning) when the donkey repeatedly behaved strangely for 3 times by refusing to continue the journey. He did not notice all this until the donkey started talking and the Lord opened his eyes to see the angel. Balaam’s wicked heart was too hardened to heed God’s instructions. God saw through Balaam’s perverse heart and sent him another warning to speak only what he would be told. 


RELATE


God knows our hearts and intentions. He knows them when we serve in the church, in the ministries, or in the communities. He knows our true intentions of doing what we are doing. He knows our hearts when we give our offerings and pledges (whether we give them cheerfully or generously). Even when we pray He knows whether we mean what we utter from our mouths. There is no place where we can hide our true selves from God. It is written in Jeremiah 17:10 - “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”


We should also be sensitive to His spirit and His leading. We do not wish to be like Balaam who was ignorant of God’s warning through the repeated defiant acts of the donkey until God opened her mouth to speak and Balaam’s eyes to notice the presence of the angel. Very often when we are bent on doing something (not according to His will) we may become insensitive to the voice of the spirit. We may also become blinded to the perfect plan and way that God has laid forth in front of us.


REST


Father You know our hearts. There is nothing we can hide from You. Therefore we ask that You grant us a pure heart, one that is not wicked but of love and compassion. Let us be sensitive to Your Spirit to make the right decision and do the right thing. In Jesus name we pray Amen.



Alan Wong


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