Session 23

Can you change God’s mind?

From Numbers: A 5-Week Devotional

Have you ever tried to run away from something God has already spoken over your life? For example, you know God has called you to quit school and go into ministry, but instead of embracing that calling, you move across the country hoping a change in scenery will remove the burden God put on your heart.

Maybe what you’re running from isn’t that drastic. Maybe it’s a relationship you need to pursue or get out of. Maybe it’s a job you know you need to leave or apply for. At some point, most of us have experienced that moment where our plan is not God’s plan, and we stubbornly pursue our plan in hopes of getting God to change His mind.

In Numbers 23, King Balak is in a similar predicament. He sends for Balaam and takes him to several different locations in the nation of Israel in hopes of getting him to curse the Israelites. After several attempts at relocation and bribery, God repeatedly instructs Balaam to bless the Israelites instead.

God, through Balaam, finally tells Balak, “God is not a human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19)

King Balak tried his hardest to get Balaam to curse the Israelites, but what Balak didn’t know was that God’s mind was already made up. God’s will is constant. No matter how much we try to run, persuade or manipulate, God’s mind doesn’t change.

God is going to accomplish His will, regardless if we comply or not. But we get more joy and He gets more glory when we submit ourselves to Him. We can be stubborn like Balak or we can embrace what God puts before us, saying, “Let your will be done!”

Reflect:

• Do you remember a time when you ran away from something God spoke over your life? What did you learn from that experience?
• Is there any area of your life where you need to submit your plans to God’s plans? What’s one step you can take this week to do that?