Speak the Truth

“Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.”” Numbers 22:38

Balaam was a prophet of God who was asked to speak a curse on the people of Israel by an enemy king. Although at first not very stellar in his obedience, so much so that his donkey had to speak to him, in the end Balaam proves to be a great example of a man who speaks the truth of God despite the outside pressures placed on him by his peers. Every single one of us will be faced with the same situation Balaam was faced with. We will be asked by a dear friend who doesn't believe if God would really send him to hell if he died tomorrow. We will be asked how the biblical statements about homosexuality could really have relevance in modern western culture. We will have our friendships and relationships with family members strained by the truth of God and its utter incapability to synthesize with our cultural values and religious ethos. When modern scholars attack over and over again the authority and credibility of God's word, we will have to answer them. As cultural spirituality continues in its path towards tolerance and relativism, we will have to defend the unique and exclusive message of the gospel. And when those times arrive, which they will for every single believer, we must speak the truth and not bow to pressures and whims of our culture. The gospel does not need to change to have relevance to those who don't believe, and we hurt the credibility of God when we change what he says to please the men around us.

Lord Jesus, give us courage to speak the truth no matter what and stand up for what you said in a culture that is contrary!