Sat.’s Devo - Victory After Victory

Read: Numbers 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11 The Edomite king had refused to let Israel pass through their land so they had to go around their land the long way to Canaan. When they got to Arad, land owned by a Canaanite king, he came out to fight them. Moses vowed if the Lord would give them victory over him, they would devote their cities to destruction. God gave them victory and they destroyed their cities. *** The people began to grumble again about their conditions. The Lord sent fiery serpents to bite the people and many died. They repented for complaining, and begged Moses to ask the Lord to take away the serpents. God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. When the people looked at it they would live. We see that symbol today on medical buildings. *** They came to a well and the Lord told Moses to have the people sing to the well and it brought forth water for them. They soon came to the land belonging to Sihon king of the Amorites. They asked them to let them pass through their land and promised not to touch or take anything. He rallied his troops to fight Israel and Israel took all his cities and villages. They camped in their land and their next stop was the land of Bashan. Og was the king. They fought him in Edrei and defeated him and possessed his land. *** They set out from there to the land of the Moabites. The king of Moab was Balak. He had heard of all Israel did to the Amorites and decided to take a different strategy. Since he couldn’t win fighting them physically, he decided to defeat them spiritually. He wanted to hire Balaam, a prophet to curse them. He sent ambassadors with fees to pay him to curse Israel. They found Balaam and told him what they wanted him to do. When Balaam sought the Lord, He told Balaam that he was not to go with him to do this. He would not curse these people because they were blessed. *** Balak sent princes to convince him to come and curse Israel. Balak explained that even if they gave him a house full of silver and gold, he could not do anything or say anything the Lord didn’t allow him. But, he told them to let him ask the Lord again. God told Balaam that he could go with the men, but only say what he told him to say. *** In Luke, it was the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and the angel Gabriel was sent to Mary in Nazareth. She was a virgin who was engaged to marriage a man named Joseph. Gabriel told Mary that she was honored by God and would bear his Son and name him Jesus. He would reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom would be everlasting. *** When Mary asked how this could happen since she was a virgin, Gabriel said the Holy Spirit would come upon her and overshadow her. The child would be holy and be the son of God. Then he told her that her aunt Elizabeth was also pregnant and in her sixth month. She who was barren was now pregnant because nothing is impossible with God. Mary submitted to the angel’s words and he left her. *** Mary got up and went immediately to see Elizabeth. When she entered into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth began prophesying that the baby in Mary’s womb would be the Lord. She blessed Mary for believing God would fulfill his word through her. *** Mary praised the Lord, honored to be used by the Lord for so great a task. Mary stayed with Elizabeth the next three months then went home. *** We have all been called to carry his son in our belly. Scripture says that out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water. *** Lord, may our answer to your call be like Mary’s. What a blessing it is to steward your spirit in us. May we praise and honor you with our lives.