Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”

“May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”

Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 13‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord

Lord God my Father,

Make my heart hear only you and turn away from any distractions. Bless my actions and overwhelm the nature I have developed that is not honoring to you, restore me. You are the only prize for me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

But the people grew impatient on the way; 5they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. 

Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. 

Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me.

Lord God my Father,

Keep me in your Peace so I may not allow my emotions to divert your desire in me. Give me courage to do your will and open my eyes to see your desire. Help me to see what you wish and not what I expect.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here?

Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors, 16but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.

Lord God my Father,

Protect my attitude when I see a personal struggle, keep me from the desire to give up. Help me to see your strength when I am weak and give me the confidence to embrace the strength you will reveal to me, a strength I am unable to believe in yet.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come! 13Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it over us!

He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.

Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

“Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.”

The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! 13Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?”

Lord God my Father,

Keep me from questioning you and make me obedient to your call. Thank you for Jesus who stands between my sin and your glory to make me acceptable to you. Help me to not question your way or try to understand your plan, for it is to great for me to know.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?

If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’

Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;

establish the work of our hands for us—

yes, establish the work of our hands.

Lord God my Father,

Keep me in your hope and delightful way, keep me from spiraling into darkness. Help me to know you so I may follow you without distractions. Help me to lead the lost to find you through how I live, keep me humble. Make your face to shine on me and those in my family and friends so your will is obvious to us.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused.

“Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?

Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? 

 “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. 

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 

Lord God my Father,

Keep me in your delight and not looking at the struggles of the day. Help me to know you and trust your strength within me. I am weak and can only see the struggles, with you I can trust in the deliverance and wisdom it brings. Keep me from whining to you but to have a calm confidence that you know what you are doing with me today. Help me to know how big you are.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”

Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.

“Rise up, Lord!

May your enemies be scattered;

may your foes flee before you.”

36Whenever it came to rest, he said,

“Return, Lord,

to the countless thousands of Israel.”

Lord God my Father,

Help me to be still and know your desire, give me focus to hear only you, not the deceiver. Shatter the enemy and bring rest to me, be near at all times.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

“ ‘ “The Lord bless you

and keep you;

25the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

26the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.” ’

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Lord God my Father,

I pray for your blessing over this family, bless my wife, children and those who are connected to us. Use me to shine your light over my family and show your way through me. Make me an instrument of your will and Peace and carry us through the struggles of the day.

In Je

37His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 38one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 39one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 40one male goat for a sin offering; 41and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. 

The total number of animals for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering came to twenty-four oxen, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs a year old. These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.

Lord God my Father,

Your plan is specific and meant to be followed perfectly. Help me to know you so I may know how to serve you and give me focus without distraction in how I do it. I am a sinner and unworthy, but you call me worthy and delight in me. Help me to delight in you and me better today.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.

Thus they were counted, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Lord God my Father,

Your direction is focused so help me to become focused on your desire or plan for me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen