Today’s Devotion
Topic: Our God Shouts
Text: Numbers 23: 21
No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. Amen
When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He led them to conquer the inhabitants of the promised land one after the other. With time, they got to the plains of Moab and camped East of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites. And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified. The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!” So Balak, king of Moab, sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River.
His message said: “Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me. Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”
Eventually when Balaam honoured Balak’s invitation, the latter led him to attempt cursing the Israelites on four different occasions and at four different locations. Each time the Prophet opened his mouth to curse the people of God, only blessed blessings came out. On one of those occasions, he said, “God brought them out of Egypt; for them He is as strong as a wild ox. No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel. For now it will be said of Jacob, ‘What wonders God has done for Israel!’” (Numbers 23:22,23)
What the king didn’t know was that, as the Israelites moved about silently, there was a “shout” amongst them; the shout of the Almighty God – their king. A shout that kept all raging enemies at bay. A shout that taunted all opposing forces on every side. A shout that guaranteed the victory of the people of God wherever they went. A shout that went way ahead of God’s people before they ever arrived anywhere. A shout that never loses its power.
Beloved, that is exactly what God does in our midst, as people who belong to Him. We all know that the voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful.The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord even shakes the desert (Ps 29: 3- 8).
Day in and out, His shout accompanies us. The devil and his cohorts know to better stay away. After all, He disarmed them and made a public spectacle of them by Jesus’ victory over them on the cross. (Colossians 2:15)
Begin to pray, therefore. Speak against any evil force that intimidates you and keeps you from taking possession of your promised land. No curse can function against you! ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds’ (2 Corin. 10: 4). Who can battle with the LORD ALMIGHTY and win? Absolutely nobody!
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