Day 190 Of Men & Churches - Perspective

 

7/9/2026

 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, 

that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."

 2 Corinthians 4:7 

 

Another early morning rainfall. Sometimes I think the grass grows two feet with every trickle of water. We've yet to put up the new tent for the lawnmower and other machines, but thankfully the tarps are functional. It's just after noon now, and I smell rain in the slight breeze blowing through my window. The sun is peeping out ever so gently still, and I don't really see any rain clouds within my present view from my bedroom window, but I feel the pressure shift in my head and the pain in my ankle from my mishap yesterday while fighting the Virginia Creeper once again. My life is full of so many twists and turns - literally!

It was exciting to see our CEO Dr. Jurgen hosting the morning call. He's been battling some pesky health issues for a couple of years now, and he recently was in the hospital again, so it's so good to see him as his teaching is inspired. Although he's been pressed and pruned during this process, God has been blessing him with so much insight. Today he shared from the Torah portion found in Numbers 22 - 25 where Balak king of the Moabites sent for Balaam, so he could curse Israel whom they feared. Everyone knows the story of Balaam and his talking donkey, but there is much more to the story. 

When Balak's men first arrived to garner Balaam's assistance, God told him to send them away. The men had promised Balak a fee for his services, so I imagine that was a consideration. Still, he told them to go away, as the LORD had spoken. So they returned back to Moab, but Balak would not accept no as an answer, and he sent another group of men to entreat Balaam to come. Finally, God let him go, but He was not pleased with Balaam's readiness to do so. This is where the donkey part of the story comes in, but we can skip over that part for now.

Balaam arrives on the scene, and Balak took him up to the high places of Baal and showed Balaam the "extent of the people" meaning the edge of one side of the camp near and exposing the outside of the camp where the defiled people (lepers, other sick, lame, those guilty of crimes and such) live. Obviously Balak wanted him to see how detestable the people must be, even to their God. But Balak didn't realize that God does not see man as man views man. 

"And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, 'I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.' Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, 'Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.' So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab. And he took up his oracle and said: 'Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!' 'How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him; there! A people dwelling alone not reckoning itself among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his!'" (Numbers 23:4-10).

This did not make Balak happy, Balaam had blessed Israel, not cursed them! So Balak decided to take him to another fringe of the outpost, so he could curse them. But again, Balaam saw what God wanted him to see and God gave Balaam the blessing to speak. The final time Balak wanted him to see Israel's entire camp so he took him to a higher vantage point. Balaam didn't need Balak's perspective to realize that God was pleased with His chosen people. So finally when Balaam looked out over the heights at Israel, Balaam truly saw the Israeli camp and the people God favored. He saw through God's eyes, and once again, He blessed Israel with a blessing, rather than a curse. Balak failed to distort Balaam's perspective, because he saw what God wanted him to see, and He blessed them.

Today many lies and distortion of facts are being pushed on to gullible people who fail to think for themselves. Rather, they accept what certain people, even pastors and leaders in seminaries, as fact. Contrary to what many accept as truth, only God and the Word of God are the source of all truth. Men trust in men and governments, but believers and followers of Jesus Christ only listen to the truth of God's Word.

Also, well-meaning followers of Christ, including myself, often become perturbed by news and the actions of those who should know better. We become impatient when God has His own timing and His own way of doing things. But the "tongue" or the "heart" get us into trouble, and I know for myself that I need to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. This is why I am faithful to meditate on scriptures, like Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to search my heart and see if there is any wicked way in me. As an intercessor, I must focus only on Jesus, the Commander of the Armies of Heaven. He has spoken this warning to me over and over. 

We all sin and fall short of God's glory, and as such, we must keep our hearts pure and our thoughts stayed on Christ. We must put on the whole armor of God daily, as we wrestle not again flesh and blood but principalities, powers, spiritual darkness of this age, and spiritual wickedness/evil in heavenly places. We must be aware and stand in the gap for others. These are dark days, but we do not fear, because we know that Jesus has already overcome!