December 30, 2023

Passage Read: Numbers 24-27
Meditation Verses: 24:1-4

Thought

Balaam, the man whose eyes are opened, who sees the Lord and hears from him, upon whom the Spirit of God rested, this man advised the Moabites and Midianites how to turn the Lord against Israel so as to weaken them. He would soon be killed, when Israel took vengeance on Moab. Balaam did hear from God, he did see visions of God, he did speak God's oracles, but none of that protected him from turning away from the Lord. Present understanding of God is no guarantee of future faithfulness to God. It is no protection against the lure of money. Anyone who loves and follows the Lord today is still susceptible to the love of money, even to the total abandonment of everything they know of God. Not unlike Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

Application

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Greed in any form is a danger to the man who wants to walk with God. No man can serve two masters; no man can serve God and Mammon, no matter how devoted to God he thinks he is. Greed has undone far too many men who dedicated their lives to serving the Lord. I'm not immune to the lure of money, to the power of greed. If Balaam, who saw God far more clearly than I do could turn away after wealth to betray Israel, so could I. I cannot give in to the desire for wealth, unless it is heavenly treasure. I must keep eternity in sight and value eternal treasure far above earthly treasure at all times. Earthly wealth is a lie and a trap, and I need to continually see it as such.