Lesson 25 – When the Spirit Speaks

Numbers 24:2

And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him."

    While Balaam intended to curse the young nation of Israel at the urging of King Balak, the Spirit touched his life and he couldn't help but issue an oracle of God. Not just once, but three times Balaam opened his mouth and blessed Israel. He wanted the treasure that would be his through a curse, but he also knew what we need to know today, that when the Spirit controls, truth must be on our lips.

    That's a comfort to me. When my life is rightly surrendered to be used of God, my words are controlled by the Spirit and God speaks truth through me. Not that I have any right to claim the words of God as my own, but when the Spirit controls, I'll say no words which is not of God's will. O that every believer would be so controlled of the Spirit!

    Think of how much more peaceful our lives would be if only the Spirit took over our lips. Christian children wouldn't sass their parents. Believing workers wouldn't grumble under their breaths at the unfairness of the boss. Husbands and wives would no longer blast each other with tirades of anger. Every word said to each other would build up and not be used to destroy. It doesn't take much of an imagination to see that things would be much different in all of our homes. Of course, most haven't learned to give over our lips to the Spirit. Our words are our words, and are rarely for the glory of God.

    Of course, our God is a gentleman and rarely chooses to take over our speech. We have a choice. Unlike Balaam, we can say whatever we want, whenever we want to. Whether it glorifies our Lord or not and regardless of how our words hurt others, we can say as we wish. Most of us have learned this and say too much.

    I for one have never given much credence to that old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." There is definitely power in our speech, and the effort for every believer is determining who will hold this power. Will you hold it yourself, or will you give your speech willingly to the Spirit?

LORD JESUS

I plead for you to take my lips just as you did those of Balaam, that my words can't help be spoken as you see fit in my life. Amen.