Sun.’s Devo - Messages From Heaven

Read: Numbers 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11 The Edomites had not allowed the children of Israel to pass through their land and God told them to go around. When they came to the land of the Canaanites, things were different. The Canaanites attacked the Israelites taking some of them prisoners. God gave Israel victory over them. They took all their cities and destroyed their rulers. Sihon was their ruler and Chemosh was their god. The road was long going around the land of the Edomites so the children of Israel started complaining again. God sent snakes that bit them and some of them died. When they cried out to the Lord, Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole and the people were healed when they looked upon it. They marched on to the land of the Amorites where Og was the king of Bashan. Og means “gigantic” because he was a giant. They killed him and occupied their land. They marched on to the land of the Moabites where Barak was king. He had heard of what they did to Sihon and Og, so he decided to use a different strategy. He realized he couldn’t defeat them with military force so he would us demonic force. He hired a sorcerer named Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam was wise enough to ask the Lord first whether to curse them or not. A true sorcerer knows the spiritual power structure and God is on top. God told Balaam not to go with them or to curse Israel because God had blessed them. The next morning he told the messengers. They took the news back to Balak who sent an even greater group of more important officers to ask him again to come. Balaam explained that no amount of money or high-ranking soldiers would be able to convince him to go with them if God says he should not go, but… he would ask God again. We see the heart of Balaam who is moved by the money and the prestige. God told him to go with the men but he was only to do what He told him to do. This is such a great story to remind us that when God gives us an answer we should stick with it and not try to sway God’s hand. Balaam does sway his hand but it doesn’t go well for Balaam in the end. In Luke, God had opened Elizabeth’s womb and she was carrying John the Baptist. She was hidden away and in her sixth month, Mary, her niece had an encounter with an angel. Gabriel came to Mary who was engaged to Joseph. He greeted her with a greeting of great favor. The angel told Mary not to be afraid because she had found favor with God and she would conceive and give birth to a son whom she was to name Jesus. He would be very great and be called the Son of the Most Hight. The Lord would give him the throne of David and he would reign over Israel forever. His kingdom would never end. Mary wondered how this would happen since she was a virgin but the angel explained that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her and the baby would be holy. Gabriel also told her that her aunt, Elizabeth was also pregnant. Mary agreed to everything the angel said to her. She planned a trip to see Elizabeth and when she walked into her house, John leapt in her womb and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth told her that Mary was blessed because she believed what the angel had said. Mary’s praise response was much like Hannah’s response when she found out God had heard her prayer to birth Samuel. Lord, thank you for your messengers who come in so many forms. May your angels be dispersed throughout the earth to tell your message to the world.