Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

4 March 2024

Reading Numbers 23-25

“God is not 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

     This gem is found in the second of Balaam’s seven messages and reveals deep insight into the nature and character of Almighty God.  First of all, we discover that God the Father is not human.  This is confirmed in the New Testament when Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”[1]  God the Son is the image of the invisible God the Father[2] and I Timothy 1:17 glorifies Him with the words, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  It was God the Son who became also the Son of Man when He was born of the Virgin Mary and His glorified body gives us hope of our own resurrection.

     The next truth is that He does not lie or change His mind.  This means that He is dependable and that He will never contradict something that He has already said.  All communication from Him must be weighed and measured by His written Word.  The Bible is a trustworthy record that gives us a plumbline[3] to be sure that as we build our lives on the foundation of Christ, we build with strength and integrity.[4]

     I am grateful that our God is true to His word and will be faithful to fulfill all of His promises.  We can trust Him.  Even when our circumstances seem hopeless, we can hope in the Lord.  Even when the future seems bleak, God will make all things work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His good purpose.[5]  What others mean for our harm, God can turn it around for our good and for His glory![6]  There’s nothing our God cannot do.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever and we can and must depend upon Him.[7]  If He says He’ll provide, He will.  If He says He’ll prepare a place for us with Him, He will.  If He assures us that everything will turn out right in the end, it will.

“Lord God, I cannot comprehend Your nature, but I thank You that You reign supreme and that You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  Help me to surrender to Your will and act as a conduit for Your love and grace to flow into the lives around me.  May I decrease that You may increase.  Reveal more and more of Your wondrous character as I read and study Your Word.  Thank You for Your promises which I can depend on.  Amen.”

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very natureof a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

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[1] John 4:24

[2] Colossians 1:15

[3] Amos 7:7-9, Isaiah 28:17

[4] I Corinthians 3:11

[5] Romans 8:28

[6] Genesis 50:20

[7] Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6