MARCH 15 "GIFTINGS OF GOD ARE IRREVOCABLE"

 Balaam is a confusing character to many people. At first when we are reading about him going over to meet Balak to partner with him against Israel. However when Balaam pronounces blessing on Israel instead of cursing; Balak sends him off angry so now we think, "oh, he's a good guy". Balaam is saying good things, but he is still bad. Later on Balaam mentions to King Balak that although he cannot curse Israel himself, Balaam suggests to King Balak that he can have the Israelites curse themselves by enticing them into sexual immorality. This turns out to be quite an effective course and thousands of Israelites die in a plague that strikes the Israelite community because of their sexual immorality between the moabite women and the men of Israel..What we can learn from this is "saying good things does not make you good", doing good things makes you good, even if you don't say a thing. We are confused about Balaam, but there really is nothing to be confused about. He is bad. The problem with Balaam is his giftings. The giftings of men throw us off and confuse us. Balaam is a prophet, he has a gift and he cannot change that, but his character is bad. If there's one thing I might take issue with, is that "the giftings of God are irrevocable". I would petition God to have that changed if I could. If only when a man did not keep up his character his giftings would be lost. We would be less confused and the men/women involved in sin would be less confused. Often what encourages a person to continue in his/her sin is that they still feel gifted and are; and somehow take that as God's approval or they take it as, "maybe God doesn't think this is so bad? I know my Pastor does, I know my friends do, but what do they know? If God himself is not angry, upset, maybe they are just be too judgmental? We are confused about Balaam and we are confused about many others who seem to display horrible character one moment, but speak so profoundly the next. There is nothing really to be confused about if you hold on to this cardinal rule, "character trumps all". No matter how successful we are running a Country, a business, a church, a youth group, if our character is bad, we are bad and we should never judge a man or woman by success of works/ministries, we judge them by character. Whether they speak good things or not, whether they speak truths we are agree with or not, if they have bad character, they are bad and we are not to be confused. The sad reality of life and God in His Wisdom that is far beyond us, has made it, that the Gifts and Callings of God, are irrevocable.