Didn't realize it was You, my Beautiful God

I don't remember reading about Balaam's oracles before...but as I opened the Scriptures to have my Quiet Time, the Scriptures in Numbers 22 and 23 read me...for I didn't realize it was You, my beautiful God, standing in my path...

The donkey finally spoke---wait a minute---donkeys don't speak! The donkey said to Balaam---stop beating me for I have been your good donkey, not in the habit of stopping on you! And Balaam lost his mind for the moment and spoke back to the donkey exclaiming that if he had a sword, he'd kill his good donkey. God opened Balaam's eyes to see why the donkey stopped in his path. God went to extreme measures to stop Balaam and get his attention that his path was a reckless one. The reckless path meant Matthew 15:19 - what was coming out of his heart was reckless---like evil thoughts--- not actions, though. It was what was in his heart that God wanted to get his attention.

Balaam replied: I have sinned. I didn't realize it was You, my beautiful God, Who was standing in my path 22:32. Balaam fell on his face and repented of his old ways of making his life work. And I loved it when I read the verse in 24:1 - Balaam didn't resort to his old ways of living as at other times but turned his face to his desert. Balaam went to a barren height 23:3 and said perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.

God gave Balaam 5 oracles that touched deep parts of me as I read this in my QT:

1. Speak only the words I put in your mouth 23:12

2. God never lies to me....He speaks/He acts and He promises/He fulfills 23:19 so don't rouse yourself like a lion that doesn't rest till he devours others

3. Even if I were given a palace or one million bucks, I can't do anything, good or bad, beyond the command of my Lord (24:13)

4. God opens my eyes to hear His words and see the vision of my Almighty and no one changes my vision unless I let them...and I fall prostrate before Him (24:16)

5. Amalek was 1st. (24:20) ...no, only my God is first in my life. No other man, no other place. Put first things first. You think like 24:21-- you think "your dwelling place is secure; your nest is set in a rock" but, oh no, what happens when troubles and temptations come? Do you have rest in your soul? Do we know real rest from the Almighty?

As I leave these words that read my heart...will I see my beautiful God standing in my path today? I long to leave my old ways of wanting too much to look good and leave a legacy and find my worth in what people think of me and what I accomplish...and I turn my face to my desert where I think my God is standing in my path. I don't want to live arrogant. I believe I can say He is my beautiful God and here I am stopped in my tracks.