His "No" Should Be Enough

If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the LORD’s command, to do anything good or bad of my own will? I will say whatever the LORD says. - Numbers 24:13

Have you ever heard of someone attempting an "end-around?" Ever tried it yourself?

If you have, then you understand it is the act of using means outside the norm (avoiding rules and boundaries) to accomplish a personal goal or objective. A great example of such an action involves the story of Balaam.

God hindered Balaam from cursing the Israelites (as the pagan king of Moab desired), but in order to get his hands on the king's treasury, Balaam found another way to accomplish the task. He simply instructed Balak to utilize the Moabite women to entice the Israelite men into idolatry (see Jesus' own words in Rev. 2:14), and his plan ultimately accomplished what Balak desired.

We must beware the temptation to accomplish personal goals in spite of God's clear opposition. Such "end-arounds" can only lead to disastrous results for you or others. An Almighty "no" should always be enough and it will keep us from all kinds of evil and the nasty consequences that such evil brings.

The cost of obedience is small compared with the cost of disobedience. - Augustine