Portrait on the Wall

Daily Scripture Threshing for Thursday, September 15, 2022

Today’s Text: Numbers 22:18-35

Key Verse: Numbers 22:32 (ESV): “And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.”

We are all familiar with picture frames hanging on the walls of our homes. Whatever they are, they image past members of our families that we possibly never physically meet to us. They are images of our predecessors or ancestors. They picture who we are, and image how we look or will look. They remind us of our past, and somehow suggest the future.  One of the most important of such portrait in the Bible steers at us on our wall today. It is the portrait of the old man called Balaam. He is, perhaps, one of the best scriptural portrait that finds the most semblance across generations in Christian families.

When we have a hard time figuring out who any member of our church or family truly is, we need to think Balaam. When he first appeared on Israel’s ministry or church board, he was a good worker. He looks like nothing but a great example of a disciple. He says and does all the right things at first sight; but ambition drove him to unnecessary praying, or pious platitude. If you find this portrait looking like you today—you seek undue honor or recognition with kings and nobles, you prefer hearing only what suits your lust and appetites from God’s voice, you get so smart with having your ways, you are more concerned about personal handouts than a sense of stewardship on several souls of Israel camped in the plain of Moab waiting on you to be guided—then look on the wall, you may be a semblance of Balaam. If you struggle to take simple instruction when God cautions you not to do anything until you feel the nudge that He is allowing you to do what you want to do—something you call the permissive will of God—it is high time you know that you are living in a way that directly opposes God’s will. Your portrait is on the wall.

Quote for the Day: “There is no such thing as permissible versus perfect will of God. It may not suit us, we may not like it, but every will of God is perfect.” (Simon Olatunji)

Prayer: Dear Lord, deliver me from any transference or reoccurrence of the spirit of Balaam. I reject the destruction of self will and the enticement of gains — in Jesus’ name. Amen.

With all my Love and Prayers,

Rev Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.

Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)

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[Daily Scripture Threshing is a devotional guide of The House of Prayer Evangel Church USA distributed for free use by individuals, small groups, families and Christian churches]

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