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MESSAGE TITLE:
“When Ability Takes You Far but Integrity Fails to Keep You There”
SCRIPTURE TEXT :
Numbers 24:1-2 (KJV)
“And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.”
DATE :05/03/25
BY: EFFIONG ETOK,
Carrier of God’s Word.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
A man’s gift may open doors to greatness, but only godly character will keep him standing when the weight of destiny comes upon him.
MESSAGE
:Have we ever wondered why some people seem so anointed, so gifted, yet their lives end in ruin? Why do men and women who once spoke with power, healed the sick, and led multitudes end up as cautionary tales? Could it be that gifts open doors, but only character keeps them open?
Balaam was no ordinary man. He was sought after by kings, a prophet whose words had the power to shape nations. His prophecies were true, his visions clear. When he spoke, even the heavens responded. But there was one fatal flaw-his heart was divided. He wanted God’s power, but he also wanted the world’s rewards. And in that battle, his character lost.
When Balak, king of Moab, sent for Balaam to curse Israel, God warned him not to go. Yet, Balaam kept asking, hoping God would allow him to do what his heart secretly desired (Numbers 22:12, 19-22). And when he finally set out, his own donkey saw the Angel of the Lord before he did (Numbers 22:23-25). Imagine-a prophet, blinded by his desires, while a mere animal had more spiritual perception than him!
This is the danger of a gifted life without integrity. Balaam eventually realized he couldn’t curse what God had blessed, so he found another way. If Israel could not be defeated by words, they could be destroyed by sin. He whispered to Balak, “Send your women among them. If they fall into immorality, their own God will judge them” (Numbers 25:1-3, Revelation 2:14). And just like that, the people he once blessed were now falling by their own choices.
Jesus warned of this kind of deception. “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? Cast out demons in Your name? Done many mighty works in Your name?’ And I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me’” (Matthew 7:22-23).
This is a terrifying truth. Gifts do not equal approval. A man can prophesy and still perish. He can preach with power and still be lost. He can move crowds and still miss the Kingdom. What matters is not how powerfully we serve, but how intimately we walk with God.
Balaam was a man who saw the coming Messiah (Numbers 24:17), yet he died among the enemies of God (Numbers 31:8). His gift was undeniable, but his life was a tragedy. He had the ability to see the future but could not see his own destruction.
What a sobering warning for us all! If gifting is greater than godliness, destruction is only a matter of time. If we are more obsessed with being used by God than becoming like Him, we are already on dangerous ground.
CLOSING PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, we lay our hearts before You—search us, cleanse us, and remove every hidden pride, greed, and compromise that can make us fall like Balaam. Do not let our gifts lead us astray; refine our hearts so that we seek You above all else. May our lives bring You glory, not just our works, in Jesus’ Mighty Name!
2. Father, let us never be among those who will hear, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” Deliver us from the deception of thinking that spiritual gifts are proof of intimacy with You. Strip away every false sense of security in our abilities, and let our obedience be greater than our gifts, in Jesus’ Mighty Name!
3. Holy Spirit, transform us from the inside out. May we never trade eternal life for temporary success. Let us not just work for You but truly walk with You, so that on the last day, we will be counted as faithful sons and daughters, standing blameless before Your throne, in Jesus’ Mighty Name!
