1175 - God Can Turn Your Situation Around#
1175 - God Can Turn Your Situation Around
(JP Text Group - Organized by Life Like an Eagle)
Numbers 23:19-23:
19 God is not a man, that He should lie; nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. 21 He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. 22 God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox. 23 For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'Oh, what God has done!'
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You! God is not a God who lies; what You say will come to pass. Your words will surely be fulfilled. You have given us many promises in the Bible, and we believe that such words will be fulfilled in us. At this moment, we look to You for the words I need today. May the Holy Spirit lead every brother and sister seeking You. Bless the time ahead so that we can understand Your words and receive Your personal provision. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen! Hallelujah!
In Numbers 23, there is a man named Balak, who is the king of the Moabites, located in the area of the Jordan River today. Balak was afraid of the Israelites. Why was he afraid? He had heard that God helped Israel defeat the most powerful nation at that time, the king of Egypt, and many previous kings had failed. When it came to Balak, he was very afraid of the Israelites, even though they had no intention of harming him.
At that time, the Israelites were about to leave Egypt. God led them on a longer route, which included several rivers, one called the Red Sea and another called the Jordan River. Many times, when we see difficulties, we tend to retreat. In fact, to the north of these rivers, there was a road called the King's Highway, which could go directly to Canaan, but God did not let them take that road; He only allowed them to travel through the mountains. When God parted the Red Sea for the people to cross, there was no turning back; this is our life today. Once you are saved, your life is different; you cannot go back to the past.
As the Israelites moved forward, they encountered many cities and had to pass through many towns, one of which was Balak's territory. God did not command the Israelites to kill the Moabites, but Balak was very afraid of them, so he hired a man named Balaam.
What kind of person was Balaam?
The Bible refers to him as a sorcerer, which you can understand today as someone who practices divination. He was similar to a medium. That is roughly the kind of person he was.
Most fortune-tellers and sorcerers in the world have one characteristic: the words that come out of their mouths are mostly curses.
“You don’t look so great up close!”
What people fear most are the unknown and worrying things. What you fear, they will tell you. Balaam was such a sorcerer; he was best at cursing people. Do sorcerers have power? Yes, brothers and sisters. Have you seen it? In Egypt, those sorcerers could perform magic? Yes. So we should not be surprised today.
Balaam was a well-known sorcerer at that time, so Balak offered him a lot of money to come and curse the Israelites. After receiving the money, Balaam stood on a mountain, ready to curse the Israelites, as we see in today's verse 19.
Verse 18 says: Then Balaam took up his oracle and said: “Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!”
Balak asked him to come to curse the Israelites, but when he was about to speak, God changed his mouth and turned the curse into a blessing. He said: God has not cursed, so how can I curse? Thank God!
Verse 19: God is not a man, that He should lie.
God has never cursed the Israelites because curses lead to death. Although God has punished the Israelites, He still loves this group of people! He disciplines and trains them, hoping they will live a blessed life according to His words.
Today, we share the first point: the unchangeable blessing.
God is not a man, that He should lie.
The Lord we believe in today does not lie. Not lying means, in another sense, that the Bible says He is a faithful God. Moreover, His promises will not change; what He gives us is certain.
If God says that believing in Jesus may lead to salvation, would you still believe? If you are unsure whether you can be saved, then do not believe. General statements are often made by humans, but God's words are yes and no. No matter how many years pass, God's truth remains certain.
God is not a son of man, that He should repent. God does not regret His actions. Some may say that there are indeed verses in the Bible where God repents. In Genesis 6, it says, The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth. Some people say, “Look, God also repented.” Doesn’t this contradict the verse that says, “He will not repent”?
There is no contradiction. Upon examining the original text, we find that this passage refers to “the Lord's heart was grieved.” When He saw how people lived on the earth, His heart began to ache. He was saddened by the hearts of men. Because God did not create man to ruin himself but to enjoy His blessings.
Although He saw that man was corrupted, God still has the power to change everything. God has written His words in the Bible, and today, if you can believe that the promises written in this book are for you, then He can fulfill them in you. Amen! The promises of the Bible are not only for the Israelites but also for all who see the Bible and believe.
You can open your mouth and pray to God, saying: Lord, please bless the work of my hands. When you believe that God loves you, He will bless you according to His promises. Because our God knows that we cannot pay any price, so as long as you are willing to ask Him, He will give it to you freely.
In verse 20, Balaam says: I have been commanded to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
Balaam's purpose was to curse the Israelites, but he said these words, I have been commanded to bless.
Let’s read the original meaning again: Behold! God has already given a blessing; I cannot reverse it.
Reverse also means to withdraw. The hand of the Lord that blesses has already been upon the Israelites; it has already been extended. No matter how great Balaam's power is, he cannot make the Lord withdraw.
When God's hand is extended, supplying us every day, even if the devil wants to do something, he cannot make God's hand withdraw. The sorcerer Balaam could not change God's will. So he said, “Look! God has already given a blessing; what... what can I do? I cannot make God's hand withdraw.”
Brothers and sisters, God's intention is that He always desires to bless us, but there is only one condition under which God must withdraw His hand: that is, if you do not believe or accept it. At that moment, God will not force you to accept His words and His blessings. When God's hand of blessing is withdrawn, what will happen? That person's situation will be very bad.
Let me give you an example from the Bible:
In the wilderness of Sinai, there were many snakes, commonly known as fiery serpents, because they could withstand high temperatures, and when they bit a person, the whole body would feel like fire, and soon the person would die. These fiery serpents were very poisonous, and the Israelites had been in the wilderness for so many years, and the fiery serpents were always there. Because God's hand was always supplying the Israelites, including protecting them, these snakes would avoid the people of God. But one day, God's hand was withdrawn because the people rejected God's supply. What happened then? The fiery serpents came out and bit many Israelites, and many people were dying.
Psalm 78:18-21
They tested God in their heart by asking for the food of their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God: “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, He struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?” Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel.
The Israelites tested God, did not believe in God, and deliberately resisted Him. What did God do at that time? He withdrew His hand. Their surrounding shields and protections were gone, and as a result, the fiery serpents entered the camp and bit many people.
At this time, Moses prayed to God, and God heard Moses' prayer.
Numbers 21:8-9
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Even if the people forsook God and rejected Him, God still waited for them to repent. As long as they turned back, God was willing to heal them. It is not scary for people to encounter problems; what is scary is when people continuously reject God and try to rely on themselves to turn the tide, which may lead to a disastrous failure. You must believe that the blessings given by God are unchangeable blessings! Amen! Unless you do not want them!
Some may say, “That's impossible! How could I not want blessings?”
When you try to earn blessings through your own efforts, you reject the blessings that God gives freely.
How did the law come about?
Romans 5:20 The law was added so that the offense might increase...
“Added” in Greek means to sneak in. It revealed human offenses. Let’s look at the situation at that time.
Actually, before Exodus 19, the Israelites often complained, but God never brought disasters upon them.
Until one day, in Exodus 19, it says,
Exodus 19:1-6
In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt, on the very day they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and there they camped in the desert in front of the mountain. 3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
God is particularly willing to bless the Israelites as long as they fully believe in Him. When God performed miracles in Egypt to save them, the Israelites did not do anything. God hoped that the Israelites would always remain in this grace. But how did the Israelites respond to God?
Exodus 19:8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
This statement in the original Hebrew is very clear; it means: “Lord, you don’t always say you want to bless us; you let us do something. Whatever you ask us to do, we can do it.”
Isn’t it the same with many people today? You keep talking about God's blessings, blessings given freely; don’t people need to do something?
This is just like the Israelites at that time!
God then changed His demeanor and told Moses to have the people consecrate themselves for three days and then come to meet Him. He set boundaries for the people, saying that anyone who disobeys His words would be put to death immediately. Do you see? The reason He didn’t require the people to consecrate themselves before was not because they were clean. No.
When human self-righteousness comes out, and people want to earn God's blessings through their own efforts, they must act according to God's standards. That standard is the Ten Commandments given later.
Although the Ten Commandments state that violating the commandments means death, God is always very slow to punish. God always gives the people opportunities to repent. As long as they turn their hearts back, God will immediately heal and bless them; such examples are very clear in the prophetic books.
When Balaam wanted to curse the Israelites, God blocked that.
So brothers and sisters, we need to thank God every day for the abundant grace He gives us. Many people often say, “I have a certain illness, but after praying, God healed me; I thank God!” You only see that God healed you, but have you seen how many disasters God has blocked from coming upon you every day?
Today, God stopped Balaam's curse, and the Israelites did not know it. They did not see it. So brothers and sisters, when we are in peace, we should thank our God even more, Amen! If God's hand were withdrawn, the situation would definitely be terrible. But thank the Lord, today God will not withdraw His hand. Because you understand God's intention, you are willing to live in His grace. As for those who are unwilling, let them be!
We often see in the news that someone dies unexpectedly. We feel regret! But have you seen God's protection over you? We eat, sleep, go out, and return safely, which seems very ordinary, but in reality, behind you, God has been protecting you, just as Psalm 91:7 says:
A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.
It is not because you behave well or are devout that God protects you; it is because the Father loves us and is willing to bless us. The blessings that God wants to give us cannot be reversed by anyone.
Today, we can make a declaration together; you and I can say:
I am already blessed; I am loved by God. Every day I am under the protection of the Father. The blessings He wants to give me cannot be reversed by anyone. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Because we are in God's irrevocable blessings. Therefore, we cannot listen to the worldly views; even Balaam's curse is of no use. God has nullified it. When people criticize you and attack you maliciously, do not mind; what they say is ineffective because you are in God's irrevocable blessings! Behold! God has already given a blessing; no one can reverse it.
John 10:10 says: The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy...
What does the devil want to steal from you? Your blessings, your health, he wants to keep you away from God, misunderstand God, and keep you away from the brothers and sisters in the church, wanting you to voluntarily leave God's blessings, and then he wins.
When others attack you, you must immediately realize that because you have the light of Christ, the devil is afraid and raises people to stop the blessings God wants to give you! When you encounter such situations, do not be discouraged, because your prosperity is coming.
The devil attacks those who are about to rise up and receive God's blessings! The one who is already lying on the ground, does the devil need to attack him?
Because your prayers have already taken effect, the devil begins to make people around you attack you, aiming to make you fall and lose heart. Because the light of Christ in you is about to shine forth, do not give up; continue to pray, and you will see the fruitful outcome!
The Bible mentions that when the prophet Samuel was raised up by God, everything he did was successful. Samuel was a very powerful prophet. Once, when the people were offering sacrifices to worship God, the Philistines attacked, and the people were very afraid. Samuel calmly said: “Do not worry; the Lord will fight for us; we will continue to worship God.”
While they were worshiping God, the Bible says that the Lord went out and struck down the enemies. This is the prophet Samuel. Why could he be so confident? Because he knew that when we worship, God will personally release His power, and the enemies will surely fail, Amen! Brothers and sisters, so when others attack and criticize you, focus on Christ, worship our Lord, and He will fight for you.
Brothers and sisters, do not care about what people say to you, especially negative words; do not keep them in your heart. Amen! Pay attention to what God says to you in the Bible!
Romans 12:14, let’s read together: Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
How do you understand this? Clearly, others have already persecuted you, attacked you, and judged you. In this situation, can you bless others? To be honest, it is indeed difficult. Let’s return to the Bible, God says to bless those who persecute you. God does not want you to harbor grievances and pain in your heart. When you can speak words of blessing in such situations, your heart will be renewed. God desires that in any situation, our hearts are filled with His peace and joy.
Just bless; do not curse! Because when people curse, those cursed words first enter that person's heart, and God does not want those cursed words to affect your heart! God does not have pity on your enemies; He cares about you!
When you bless them in the name of Jesus, if that person is unworthy of that blessing, it will come back to you.
Especially for those who preach the gospel, you must understand this truth:
Matthew 10:11-13
“Whatever city or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.”
Brothers and sisters, the Bible mentions that one day, Jesus came to a fig tree, and He wanted to eat the fruit from that tree, but He saw that the tree was full of leaves and had no fruit. Jesus said, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” As a result, the tree withered from the roots. Do you see? This is the faith that Jesus taught His disciples.
Can you believe all this? Speak words of blessing to your body, your relatives, your children, and those around you in the name of the Lord Jesus; no one can reverse this blessing.
Brothers and sisters, we are created in the image and likeness of God. The words from the mouth of Christ Jesus are often words of encouragement and comfort, so since we are disciples of Christ, we should learn and imitate the words that Jesus Christ usually spoke; this way, we bring God's blessings to those around us!
Mark 1:40-42
Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
When Jesus spoke words of blessing, that person's situation changed.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus has given you this authority today, so you should use your mouth to speak words of blessing to those around you; no one can reverse it, Amen! But God has never given us the authority to curse.
Remember, God has never given us the authority to curse, so when you curse someone in the name of Jesus, it is ineffective. Instead, you will feel very sad because you allow filthy words to enter your heart. Therefore, Jesus hopes that our hearts contain only blessings, and what we give out is only blessings!
The Bible mentions that God created the world with words, and Jesus changed many people with words. You also know that today, if you want your situation to change, you must learn to use God's words to bless your life.
When Abraham and Sarah had no children, God changed his name to the father of many nations. This had not yet been accomplished, but God wanted to see in his heart that this matter was already accomplished. When the time came, God allowed him to see the birth of Isaac.
God expects us to receive His blessings and live. The more you say, I am blessed, and this blessing is unchangeable, the more this blessing will come upon you. The more you acknowledge this, believe it, and speak it out, the blessings of God will come upon you, and you will surely see God's blessings in what you do, Amen!
Everyone says that business has been tough in recent years. We have a sister in our church; when she started working at that company, the owner’s clothing store was about to close because business in that circle was bad. After she joined, every day she would go into the store and start declaring blessings because the owner was not there; he was quite busy. When she was alone in the store, she would turn on the computer to listen to sermons and continuously praise. She particularly loved to sing. Since she joined the company, it began to turn around. A few days ago, she sent me a photo and said, “Look, today my store has been completely sold out.”
Can you imagine what this situation is? In this era when business is tough, the clothes in the store were completely sold out; this is God's blessing upon her.
When business is bad, do not say, “I am too difficult! I can’t do it!” You should instead say, “In the name of the Lord Jesus, bless my business. Father, please give me the wisdom I need today; the blessings You give me cannot be blocked by anyone! Just bless, just bless, Amen!”
Every morning I tell my children: “In the name of Jesus Christ, you are filled with joy, wisdom, and health!” And it really comes to pass.
So brothers and sisters, we must know that when you acknowledge that God blesses you this way, no one can reverse it! Hold on to this promise. Hallelujah!
The second point: Know how God sees you; do not doubt.
Do you know what you look like in God's eyes? Let’s take a look at how the Israelites appeared in God's eyes.
Numbers 23:21: He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.
Earlier, we read that God particularly emphasizes, God is not a man, that He should lie. God does not lie. But here it says, “He has not seen iniquity in Jacob.” In God's eyes, do the people down the mountain have iniquity? No, brothers and sisters! Today, if we look at our church through God's eyes, does God see any iniquity among you? Is there any wickedness? No. Are you sure that God is with you? Sure! Do not doubt in any circumstance. Hallelujah!
From a human perspective, what were these people doing? They were complaining and grumbling; they were always picking on Moses. From a human perspective, these people were indeed imperfect and not as good as God said. But do you know? Because of Jesus Christ, in God's eyes, you are perfect. You are holy; you are without blemish. Amen!
When Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross, He made us complete; the holiness, righteousness, and blessings of Jesus are upon you. Hallelujah!
God sees the Israelites and says, “I do not see iniquity among them.” God does not see your iniquities because all your iniquities have been laid upon Jesus, so God is pleased with you. Hallelujah!
Many times, we wrongly define ourselves! Many people say,
“I can’t do anything!”
“I can’t do this!”
In fact, wisdom, eloquence, and ability are all gifts from God. As long as we are willing, God will help us.
Do not let your brothers and sisters define you. What people say is not necessarily correct. Many times, people around you say, “You have believed for so many years, and you haven’t changed at all. I don’t see you as a Christian at all!”
Do not believe these!
The point is that you need to know how God sees you. In God's eyes, you are a treasure, the apple of His eye, and He loves you!
Let’s look at Numbers 24:1; let’s see what God's intention is: Balaam saw that the Lord loved to bless Israel...
Do you see what God's intention is? Even this sorcerer, who often curses people, realized that God particularly loves to bless Israel. Do you believe today? Do you believe that God is willing to bless you? He is willing. Even the devil can see it; why can’t you see it? So do not doubt this point. Amen!
Balaam saw the true Israel from God's perspective. From a human perspective, these Israelites were still living in disputes, troubles, complaints, and dissatisfaction in the camp. Nevertheless, God had accepted them and regarded them as treasures.
Every time you come to church, I will correctly remind you of your identity, letting you know what you truly look like in God's eyes, which can help you live correctly. But after you go back, it is easy to forget your identity. Whenever you forget, declare this scripture out loud. Amen!
You should tell yourself, I am blessed by God; the hand of God's blessing is upon my head; no one can reverse it. When we go to church, we look at how God sees us from a heavenly perspective. When you look up to Jesus here, you will see the perfection of Christ, receive Jesus' love, and you will see that you are complete in God's eyes. Naturally, you will live a holy life in your daily life.
Matthew 3:16-17:
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Immediately after, when Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, and He fasted for forty days and was hungry, what did the devil say to Him? “If you are the Son of God,” what is missing? The “beloved Son.” The devil never reminds Jesus that He is the beloved of God.
Why do I keep mentioning “beloved of God” in the spiritual food you receive every day? I want you to know every day that you are the beloved of God. When you know you are the beloved of God, the devil has no opportunity.
Therefore, Jesus, through God's acceptance of Him, the Father's love and recognition of Him, overcame the devil's attacks and temptations time and again. This is the power that comes from correct belief.
I once saw a testimony:
There was a sister who had a tumor on her neck. When she went to listen to a pastor's sermon, the pastor said, “By the stripes of Jesus Christ, you were healed.” This woman fully received this word and then told herself, “I have been healed by God.”
She believed this every day, but the tumor did not go down. When she met others, she would say, “Do you know? God has healed me.” Others looked at her with strange eyes and walked away. When she met another person, she would say, “Do you know? God has healed me.” Every time she spoke like this, others laughed at her and did not understand!
In the second year, the pastor came to preach again. This woman went to listen to the sermon again. The pastor said, “You receive healing from Jesus Christ.” This woman said, “I have been healed by God; I fully believe it, and I have never doubted it.” She even testified to the people below, saying, “God has healed me.” The people below said, “Look! She clearly has not been healed; she is lying.” Her tumor had not gone down; what kind of testimony is that? “You should come down quickly!” After this woman came down, she still did not lose heart. She would tell people, “Jesus has healed me. By His stripes, I am now healthy.”
In the third year, the pastor came to preach again. This woman stood on the stage again and said, “Today I want to give you a testimony; Jesus Christ has healed me!!” Do you know what the people below said to her? “You should come down quickly; don’t fool others! It has been three years; we have all seen it. You keep saying you are healed, but your situation has not changed!”
At that moment, this woman turned around and prayed to God. She said, “Heavenly Father, I know You have healed me, but these people do not believe. They only see that my tumor has not gone down, and they think I have not been healed. Lord, have mercy on them and let them see and increase their faith!” When this woman stood up and turned around, her tumor disappeared.
So what do we need? Why do I want to particularly mention this woman's testimony? Many times, when we see that the environment has not changed, we doubt God: “Lord, where have You gone? Why are You treating me this way? I have believed that You have completely healed me; why do You still let this thing remain?” But this woman knew that at the moment she received, she had already been completely healed. Hallelujah!
So what we need is such faith.
At all times, even in the face of the environment, you must be sure that God's words are true; He absolutely will not lie. Since the Bible says, “By the stripes of Jesus Christ, I am healed,” you must believe that this healing has already been accomplished in you today. Thank the Lord! Do not doubt; when God says it is accomplished, it will surely be accomplished! Do not let doubt take away your faith.
Curses and blessings are antonyms, so we should be happy today; you should know that God wants us to live in grace, to live in His blessings. Therefore, we must understand that we live in the grace of Jesus Christ. No matter what others say, I am willing to live in the grace of Christ. When we know we are in God's grace, we will naturally bear the fruits of good deeds, Hallelujah!
Galatians 3:13-14:
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
All the curses of the law have been laid upon Jesus Christ; He has borne the curse for me, so I am not under the curse of the law.
Just like Balaam, he wanted to curse the Israelites, but God changed his mouth. When others curse you, you must know that God will change everything and ultimately turn that curse into a blessing for you. Today, you are not under the law because Jesus Christ has paid the price; God does not want curses to come upon us but desires the blessings of Abraham to come upon us. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. Jesus Christ became a curse on the cross, freeing us from the curse of the law. I know I am in Your grace, in Your blessings. The blessings You want to give me cannot be taken away by anyone!
We believe that in this new week, Your blessings for us are unchangeable. I know I am pleasing to You in God's eyes. Thank and praise the Lord! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!