BBD 05.21.04 Against the Wind

#1 · May 21, 2004, 11:23 am

Quote from Forum Archives on May 21, 2004, 11:23 am
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free
links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the
bottom of the front page www.theburningbush.org.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your
country's flag on the map and leave a message. You can find it on the front
page at www.theburningbush.org

Streaming Videos of our services including my sermons are beginning to be
posted at: www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

The Burning Bush Devotional

(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

05.21.04

Against the Wind

Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD
standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell
facedown. The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey
these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a
reckless one before me. - Numbers 22:31-32.

The story of the talking donkey is recorded in Numbers chapter 22 and is a
warning to all those who oppose God. Balaam was walking on the edge trying
to please God and at the same time please himself by helping the enemy of
God’s people. Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel and Balaam had hopes that
God would allow him to do so. Of course, it would never happen. Balaam was
walking this fine line because of his greed and his hopes of receiving
monetary gain from the enemy. It was a dangerous and as the Bible says a
“reckless” path for him to take. Balaam received some indication of this
when his donkey talked to him and his eyes were opened so that he could see
what the donkey could see. What could the donkey see? “…he saw the angel of
the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn.”

There is an old Bob Seger song called “Against the Wind.” Here are some of
the lyrics:

Against the wind. We were runnin against the wind. We were young and strong;
we were runnin a-gainst the wind.
And the years rolled slowly past.
And I found myself alone.
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends.
I found myself further and further from my home. And I
Guess I lost my way.
There were oh, so many roads.
I was livin' to run, and runnin' to live,
Never worryin' about payin', or even how much I owed.
Runnin' 8 miles a minute for months at a time.
Breakin' all of the rules that would bend.
I begin to find myself just searchin'...
Searchin' for shelter again and again.
Against the wind. A little somethin' against the wind.
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind.
Well those drifter's days are past me now. I've got
so much more to think about.
Deadlines and commitments.
What to leave in, What to leave out.
Against the wind. I'm still runnin' against the wind.
I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind.

To follow the path of Balaam which is opposition of what God wants is a
“reckless” path. It is a path that is “runnin’ against the wind.” The Bible
tells us more about the danger of such a path in 2 Peter 2:12-17, “But
these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil
of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own
corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who
count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes,
carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes
full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls.
They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.
They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of
Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was
rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice
restrained the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds
carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness
forever.”

Are you “runnin’ against the wind?” Are you engaged in willful disobedience
to your Lord? You know what you ought to do but you still do what you know
you should not do. Are you engaged in adultery, or sexual sins, or use of
illegal substances, or abuse of alcohol, or robbery, cheating, stealing,
deception? Or you can fill in the blank of what it is you know you are doing
that you should not be doing. If so, you are on a dangerous and “reckless”
path and the Lord will oppose you every step of the way. You will not
succeed. You will fail. You will come to a desolate end when you run against
the wind in opposition to the Lord God. Ask God to open your eyes so that
you can see the truth of your situation. It may be that God will use a
donkey to talk to you or more likely a friend, or a stranger. God will speak
and you will know the truth.

Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email
version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may subscribe to the pure text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org and you can unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer requests
to over 300 members. Send a blank email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email to:
bbinspire-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email to:
tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical
ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to
interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. A closely related website is
Peoplefaces which seeks to help those in need
peoplefaces.ohzone.net/index2.htm

More information about Ed Wrather may be found at
www.theburningbush.org/28.html. Ed is available for revivals,
conferences, and other speaking and ministry opportunities as the Lord
leads.

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free
links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the
bottom of the front page http://www.theburningbush.org.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your
country's flag on the map and leave a message. You can find it on the front
page at http://www.theburningbush.org

Streaming Videos of our services including my sermons are beginning to be
posted at: http://www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

The Burning Bush Devotional

(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

05.21.04

Against the Wind

Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD
standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell
facedown. The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey
these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a
reckless one before me. - Numbers 22:31-32.

The story of the talking donkey is recorded in Numbers chapter 22 and is a
warning to all those who oppose God. Balaam was walking on the edge trying
to please God and at the same time please himself by helping the enemy of
God’s people. Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel and Balaam had hopes that
God would allow him to do so. Of course, it would never happen. Balaam was
walking this fine line because of his greed and his hopes of receiving
monetary gain from the enemy. It was a dangerous and as the Bible says a
“reckless” path for him to take. Balaam received some indication of this
when his donkey talked to him and his eyes were opened so that he could see
what the donkey could see. What could the donkey see? “…he saw the angel of
the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn.”

There is an old Bob Seger song called “Against the Wind.” Here are some of
the lyrics:

Against the wind. We were runnin against the wind. We were young and strong;
we were runnin a-gainst the wind.
And the years rolled slowly past.
And I found myself alone.
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends.
I found myself further and further from my home. And I
Guess I lost my way.
There were oh, so many roads.
I was livin' to run, and runnin' to live,
Never worryin' about payin', or even how much I owed.
Runnin' 8 miles a minute for months at a time.
Breakin' all of the rules that would bend.
I begin to find myself just searchin'...
Searchin' for shelter again and again.
Against the wind. A little somethin' against the wind.
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind.
Well those drifter's days are past me now. I've got
so much more to think about.
Deadlines and commitments.
What to leave in, What to leave out.
Against the wind. I'm still runnin' against the wind.
I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind.

To follow the path of Balaam which is opposition of what God wants is a
“reckless” path. It is a path that is “runnin’ against the wind.” The Bible
tells us more about the danger of such a path in 2 Peter 2:12-17, “But
these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil
of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own
corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who
count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes,
carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes
full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls.
They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.
They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of
Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was
rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice
restrained the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds
carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness
forever.”

Are you “runnin’ against the wind?” Are you engaged in willful disobedience
to your Lord? You know what you ought to do but you still do what you know
you should not do. Are you engaged in adultery, or sexual sins, or use of
illegal substances, or abuse of alcohol, or robbery, cheating, stealing,
deception? Or you can fill in the blank of what it is you know you are doing
that you should not be doing. If so, you are on a dangerous and “reckless”
path and the Lord will oppose you every step of the way. You will not
succeed. You will fail. You will come to a desolate end when you run against
the wind in opposition to the Lord God. Ask God to open your eyes so that
you can see the truth of your situation. It may be that God will use a
donkey to talk to you or more likely a friend, or a stranger. God will speak
and you will know the truth.

Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email
version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may subscribe to the pure text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org and you can unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer requests
to over 300 members. Send a blank email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email to:
bbinspire-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email to:
tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical
ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to
interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. A closely related website is
Peoplefaces which seeks to help those in need
peoplefaces.ohzone.net/index2.htm

More information about Ed Wrather may be found at
http://www.theburningbush.org/28.html. Ed is available for revivals,
conferences, and other speaking and ministry opportunities as the Lord
leads.