Real Motives

The story of Balaam and the talking donkey has always intrigued me. Balaam was a prophet for hire; for a fee, he would bless and curse people. The Moab king wanted him to curse the Israelites so he could defeat them in battle. God tells Balaam not to curse them; Balaam agrees. The Moab king offers him more money, and God tells him to go with them, but only to do what God commands.

I was wondering why God told him not to go, then told him to go, then stopped him with a talking donkey.

It seems contradictory, but God knows our hearts. 1 Kings 8:39 tells us that God knows each human heart, “for you alone know each human heart”. God knows our motives.

‘People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. ‘
Proverbs 16:2

In the next reading, 1 Corinthians 11, Paul gives us guidelines for the Lord’s Supper. Some of the Corinthians were not behaving in a Christlike manner; they were unworthy. Paul mentions we need to examine ourselves twice.

‘²⁸That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. ³¹But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. ³²Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world. ‘
1 Corinthians 11:28,31-32

Balaam’s and the Corinthians’ motives were self-serving; their hearts weren’t where they should be. God knows our hidden motives and desires. We must examine ourselves daily.

‘²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.   ²⁴Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.’
Psalms 139:23-24

For myself, examination is like lifting the lid on a garbage can. It’s a lot easier not to be mindful of my thoughts, words, and actions. It is easier to sweep all that garbage under the rug; however, God already knows our hearts, and He still died for us. — God is bigger than our past and restores our souls. That’s great news!

Walking with God

Imagine a life where we ask God to search us continually, to know our hearts, to point out anything that offends Him, and lead us along the path to everlasting life all the time. What if those 2 verses were at the forefront of our minds, not just during communion, but every moment of every day?

To live in a state of constant awareness is what the Puritans called “walking with God.” Being mindful turns life from a series of mindless tasks into a continuous conversation with our Creator, our Savior.