The Prophecy Update Newsletter - 7/14/25 - Israel Is Different Than ‘Any Other Nation,’ Because the God of the Universe Declares It to Be

News & Information for the End Times

Jul 14, 2025

ISRAEL AT WAR!!! Day 647 - PRAY!!!

Pray For Israel — Psalm 122:6-8, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee."

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In Today’s Newsletter…

*Israel Is Different Than ‘Any Other Nation,’ Because the God of the Universe Declares It to Be

*Prophecy Update: Rapid Changes

*Prophecy Update Videos

*Recommended Reading & Links

*Jeremiah 49 Elam Destruction

*This Is Not Normal! We Just Had Four “1-In-1,000-Year Storms” In A Single Week!

*Daily Jot: No, the Hardest Word

*Daily Devotion: Learning to Walk

*Prophecy Update News Headlines

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Israel Is Different Than ‘Any Other Nation,’ Because the God of the Universe Declares It to Be

By Jonathan Brentner - https://harbingersdaily.com/israel-different-than-any-other-nation-because-the-god-of-the-universe-declares-it-to-be/

Most churches today believe that Israel’s existence doesn’t matter in regard to Bible prophecy. The popular message is that the Church is now biblical Israel and that modern-day Israel is no different than any other nation with the same challenges and threats to its existence.

I can think of many reasons why such a dismissal of Israel’s prophetic significance is wholly unbiblical; here are a few of them:

The Lord’s Many Promises to Restore a Kingdom to Israel

The Old Testament prophets repeatedly predicted a future restoration of Israel with a descendant of David reigning over it. In Zephaniah 3:20, the Lord made this key promise to the nation: “’At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,’ says the Lord.”

At no time since the Lord spoke these words through the prophet have the Jewish people occupied such a place of honor among the “peoples of the earth.” It’s been exactly the opposite.

Notice the permanence of the restoration that the Lord promises Israel through the Prophet Amos: “’I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,’ says the Lord your God” (Amos 9:14-15).

With words that can only apply to Jacob’s descendants, God promises a lasting restoration with many physical blessings. How can these words even remotely apply to the church today apart from doing great damage to the understanding Lord intended for them at the time He spoke them through Amos?

When the disciples asked Jesus if He intended to “at this time restore the kingdom to Israel,” He didn’t chide them for asking a foolish question or deny that it would happen someday. Instead, He told them that their timing was wrong and turned their attention to the task ahead for them (Acts 1:6-8).

The Bible Predicted the Israel that We See Today

What we see in modern Israel aligns perfectly with what the prophets wrote about the nation in the last days. God’s Word predicted that:

Israel would become a nation again “in one day” (Isaiah 66:8).
Israel would initially exist in a state of unbelief (Ezekiel 37:1-14).
The nations would seek to divide the Land of Israel and mistreat the Jewish people (Joel 3:1-3).
Jerusalem would attract the world’s attention (Zechariah 12:3).
Israel would build a temple while still in a state of unbelief (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15).
Rather than rely on God for protection, Israel would agree to a covenant with the antichrist (Daniel 9:26-27; Isaiah 28:14-18).

All of the above prophecies align perfectly with what we see today. Israel miraculously became a nation in one day on May 14, 1948, and while many believers live there, the majority of its people still reject Jesus as their Messiah. The passion for building a third temple grows by the day, which the Bible tells us will be in place by the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation when the antichrist will desecrate it.

God’s Steadfast Love Guarantees a Future for Israel

Third, God’s “steadfast love” also verifies that He has not replaced Israel with the church. He cannot renege on the solemn promises He made to Jacob’s descendants.

The Hebrew word for “steadfast love” is chesed. Some Bible versions translate it as “lovingkindness” or simply “kindness.” The full meaning of the word is difficult to convey with just one word or phrase. It denotes the Lord’s enduring covenant relationship with His people, including His never-ending faithfulness and unfailing love for them.

The essence of chesed is a permanent and long-lasting covenant that depends on God’s faithfulness, not that of His people. The Lord never lets go of His own. In the Old Testament, it denoted the permanence of His relationship with the Jewish people. This does not imply that every descendant of Jacob will inherit eternal life, not at all, but that God will never forget His promises to the nation and its people. The Land belongs to them via an “everlasting covenant” (Psalm 105:7-11).

The Good News for Us

God’s steadfast love for His own is exceedingly good news for us. As saints redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we also have a covenant relationship with God. Hebrews 9:14-15 says that Christ “is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

As such, we also fall under the umbrella of chesed, God’s covenant love for His own. In our case, it’s not with a nation or particular race of people but with all who trust Jesus alone for eternal life.

Just as with Israel, God will never let us go; we are eternally secure. Ephesians 1:13-14 says we “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

Israel indeed matters to Bible prophecy. We dare not confuse it with the church because it matters in our understanding of Bible prophecy, God, the times in which we live, and our secure position in Christ as justified saints.

God’s love for us is permanent (chesed); He never lets go of His own. He never reneges on His promises to them. Never!

The words of David in Psalm 40:11 apply to all who belong to the Lord: “As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love [chesed] and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!”

Prophecy Update: Rapid Changes

By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2025/07/12/rapid-changes-by-daymond-duck/

When asked about Pres. Trump’s quest for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, on July 2, 2025, Tammy Bruce, spokeswoman for the U.S. State Dept., noted the rapid changes in the Middle East (caused by the pounding Israel gave to Iran in their 12-day war).

Bruce said,

The Middle East changed a couple of weeks ago very dramatically. It changed forever.
The goal is not to make it (a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas) the world’s longest ceasefire.
It’s going to be peace that’s achieved fundamentally by the changes on the ground, which we have already seen implemented over the last couple of weeks.

When asked if Pres. Trump still supports the Two-State Solution, Bruce declined to answer.

Concerning the impact of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, Tania Curado Koenig reported that behind-the-scenes meetings are taking place that could be the most consequential diplomatic moves of the year.

According to Koenig, the White House is trying to:

Ensure calm in the Middle East.
Coordinate the hostage negotiations.
Advance the Saudi-Israel Normalization Accords.
Advance a post-war plan for Gaza.

The next day, July 3, 2025, Mike Huckabee, America’s Ambassador to Israel, said:

Hamas must be completely dismantled.
Hamas will have no future in Gaza.
Any proposal that allows the terror group to retain power is senseless.
A lasting peace in Gaza hinges on the full removal of Hamas’s power, infrastructure, and influence.
Iran’s nuclear aspirations–they’re over.
They need to give it up.
The Israelis, the Americans, even the Europeans have said Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.
Hamas eliminated, hostages freed, and a region prepared to embrace lasting security and new alliances.

We should not be surprised that there are rapid changes in the Middle East: The Bible teaches that the signs will increase in frequency and intensity like birth pains at the end of the age.

We should not be surprised that meetings are being held to produce a lasting peace in Gaza or to get many to embrace lasting security in the Middle East: The Bible clearly teaches that there will be a covenant with many, and people will declare peace and safety.

The question is when.

We don’t know, but these things could develop rapidly.

And I am of the opinion that the Rapture of the Church (removal of the restrainer) could cause things to come together at warp speed.

We shall see.

Here are some recent events that seem to indicate that the end of the age is close:

One, here is a link to a video a reader sent to me that has some good information about rebuilding the Temple (about 10 min.).

Two, concerning Iran: on July 4, 2025, Pres. Trump said Iran has not agreed to inspections of its nuclear program or to give up enriching uranium, and he would discuss what to do with Prime Min. Netanyahu when Netanyahu visits the White House on July 7, 2025.

Three, concerning natural disasters increasing in frequency and intensity at the end of the age: an incredibly powerful storm dumped 15 inches of rain along the Guadalupe River in Texas this week, and as of July 6, 2025, there are 67 confirmed deaths, 11 camp girls missing, and about 850 people that had to be rescued.

(Update: On July 7, 2025, “The White House Faith Office asks you to join us in prayer for the precious lives lost in the Texas floods. Amidst this tragedy, our nation must come together to pray for the victims, their families, and the first responders conducting rescue missions to find those still missing. May God wrap his loving arms around all those in Texas. Psalm 34:18 – “’The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.’”)

(Update: On July, 25, 2025, it was reported that all of the missing campers have now been confirmed dead. At least 90 people, including 28 children were killed.)

Four, concerning the days of Noah when violence and wickedness were great, more than 50 people were shot over the Fourth of July weekend in Chicago, and, sadly, this seems to be about normal these days.

Five, on July 6, 2025, several evangelical figures (Michelle Bachman, Bill and Tania Curado Koenig, and Jan Markell) posted an urgent open letter to Pres. Trump requesting that he:

Recognize Israel’s right to act without restriction in its covenant land.
Remove any reference to Israel’s land in future Abraham Accords negotiations.
Refrain from pressuring Israel into military or political concessions, especially regarding Gaza.
Publicly affirm opposition to any two-state plan that divides Israel’s biblical inheritance.
Declare that Israel’s boundaries, as defined in Genesis 15:18, are not subject to negotiation.

Six, concerning a peace in the Middle East: on July 4, 2025, it was reported that Prime Min. Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. will be more than talk about a ceasefire with Hamas and what to do about Iran’s continuing efforts to enrich uranium.

It will include Pres. Trump’s “Deal of the Century” — an ambitious and far-reaching Middle East peace initiative.

The Trump administration is expecting major progress soon.

(Update: On July 7, 2025, Bill Koenig reported that Pres. Trump and Prime Min. Netanyahu took questions before their dinner meeting started. Both men were unequivocal when asked about the long-standing question of a two-state solution. Trump deferred the question to Netanyahu — “the greatest man in the world to answer that age-old question,” he said. Netanyahu’s answer was firm: no Palestinian state that threatens Israel’s security or compromises its sovereign control. “We vow never again.” The message was clear: there will be no revival of the traditional two-state narrative — not now, and not on Trump’s watch. That message was not just for domestic audiences, but for foreign leaders in Europe, the Arab League, and within the Biden-aligned diplomatic community who are still pressing for land concessions.)

Seven, concerning the coming hyper-inflation and a global economic collapse during the Tribulation Period: on July 4, 2025, Pres. Trump signed his “Big Beautiful Bill” into law.

America’s national debt has topped 37 trillion dollars, and the “Big Beautiful Bill” is expected to add another 3 trillion dollars to that.

Eight, concerning Israel’s great army, Hamas and the Gaza Strip: on July 6, 2025, a senior Hamas official told the BBC that Israel has killed 95% of the Hamas leaders, and Hamas has lost control of 80% of the Gaza Strip.

(Update: On July 9, 2025, James Sinkinson, a Middle East expert, wrote, “Israel has emerged as the sole Middle East superpower, and as such, its neighborhood and the world are safer…. Israel’s definitive defeat of Iran and its proxies was achieved through military superiority.”)

Nine, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on July 7, 2025, Israeli jets struck three Houthi naval ports, a power station, and a radar ship. There has been no report on damage.

Ten, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on July 7, 2025, following a vicious Russian attack on Ukraine, Pres. Trump reversed himself and said the U.S. will be sending more weapons to Ukraine.

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com

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PROPHECY UPDATE VIDEOS

Jeremiah 49 Elam Destruction

Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2025/07/13/jeremiah-49-elam-destruction/

Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, has perhaps framed my thinking in this commentary.

He says that US B-2 bombers “need to visit Yemen” after Houthis missile intercepted.

“We thought we were done with missiles coming to Israel, but Houthis just lit one up over us in Israel,” the ambassador noted after the first missile attack since the Iran war. “The law of Yemen is the law of Tehran,” he wrote. “After we strike the head of the serpent in Tehran, we will also strike the tail of the serpent in Yemen” (Rapture Ready News, July 2, 2025).

Huckabee’s words validate that the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran, as it has been termed, isn’t over. This is no surprise to any Bible student who is familiar with God’s prophetic Word. The war with Israel’s surrounding enemies has been waged for thousands of years, and we know from Bible prophecy that the conflict hasn’t come to an end with the B-2 bombers dropping multiple bunker-buster bombs down the center of the mountain hiding the Iranian Fordow nuclear facility.

The leak to CNN and others from out of the Department of Defense claiming that the huge ordnance sent into that facility three hundred feet beneath the mountain didn’t finish off the Iranian nuclear program, whether true or not, has created a strong sense that there’s more to be done to end the Iranian regime’s nuclear-weapons ambitions.

The leakers inside the DOD, who are being pursued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegset and by the Trump administration, are thought to be of the deep-state variety. These, it is charged, want never-ending war, particularly in the Middle East, to feed the greed of the so-called military-industrial complex. (That, plus the desire to bring down the presidency of Donald J. Trump.)

Some who study Bible prophecy from the pre-Trib perspective have suggested that this strike to rid Iran of its nuclear program was the fulfillment of the following Jeremiah 49 prophecy:

The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them: And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD. But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 49:34–39)

The prophecy certainly seems to fit, in some respects, with what the Israel’s IDF and America’s B-2 attacks wrought in Iran.

My good friend Bill Salus, whom I believe has a Holy Spirit-directed focus on the evil in the Middle East against God’s chosen nation, Israel, wrote several years ago with uncanny accuracy about the Jeremiah 49 prophecy.

In this prophecy Jeremiah declares that a time would arrive when the Lord would be furious with the leadership of Iran. We know this because Jeremiah 49:38 says that the kings and the princes will be destroyed. This most likely represents the Iranian government in place when the prophecy occurs. The Lord would never destroy good kings and princes, so we can safely presume that bad Iranian leadership is the problem.

An example of good Iranian leadership was King Cyrus the Great of Persia who lived between 600-529 BC. Isaiah 44-45 predicted his arrival on the world scene a century before Cyrus was even born. Isaiah called Cyrus by name and confirmed that he was anointed by the Lord. If Iran’s current supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, was a good leader like Cyrus, then Jeremiah 49:34-39 would not be a NOW prophecy. The Lord would be pleased with the Ayatollah, rather than furious with him.

But why is the Lord fiercely angry with the government of Iran at the time of the prophecy? The reason is because Iran wants to launch something powerful somewhere. This is why the Lord will break the bow at the foremost of Iran’s might in order to prevent such a lethal launch.

But where does Iran want to launch something powerful? (The Now Prophecies by Bill Salus, Prophecy Depot Publishing, 2016)

Despite the Israeli Defense Force reportedly taking out almost all the Iranian regime’s leadership, and most of the nuclear scientists involved with the weapons program, and American bombers “totally obliterating” the Fordow facility, according to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, there is growing evidence that Iran is back at it. That is, enough of Iran’s nuclear program survived to begin anew the development of nuclear bombs, some sources say.

Satellite and other surveillance apparently observed a number of eighteen-wheeler type trucks moving from the Fordow facility just before the attack by the B-2 bombers. This indicates, to those who are concerned, that the ninety-something canisters of enriched uranium were removed to another location or locations. That nuclear material, the sources say, was almost at the point of being usable to construct the nuclear weapons the regime is determined to affix onto the nose of their ballistic missiles.

Whatsoever the case, it’s obvious that the total destruction indicated in the Jeremiah 49 prophecy against Elam hasn’t yet been fulfilled. The inhabitants haven’t been totally dispatched from the area. The nuclear fallout that many of us think is part of this prophecy that will scatter the inhabitants of Elam far and wide hasn’t occurred. Not yet.

My thinking, as I wrote above, as framed by Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s words on the need perhaps for the B-2s to again be used, is that Iran will again be struck in powerful attacks. With the brilliance of Israeli intelligence and the sophisticated technologies to detect movement of assets, one must presume that if the canisters of enriched uranium or whatever was transported to safety, Israel—and America—know with precision where they now are.

I very strongly suspect that at the appropriate time, if these nuclear materials exist, they will be hit. Could this be when the full extent of this prophecy about Elam’s destruction reaches the beginning of its fulfillment?

This Is Not Normal! We Just Had Four “1-In-1,000-Year Storms” In A Single Week!

Michael Snyder - https://endoftheamericandream.com/this-is-not-normal-we-just-had-four-1-in-1000-year-storms-in-a-single-week/

What is it going to take for people to finally wake up? I am old enough to remember when “1-in-1,000-year storms” were actually rare. These days, we are constantly being hit by them. In fact, here in the United States we just witnessed four in a single week. This is not normal. In fact, this is not even close to normal. We just keep getting pummeled by major disaster after major disaster, and yet most people act as if all of this is just temporary and weather patterns will eventually become stable again.

I had never heard of four “1-in-1,000-year storms” occurring during a single week.

But according to NBC News, that is precisely what just happened…

First the river rose in Texas. Then, the rains fell hard over North Carolina, New Mexico and Illinois.

In less than a week, there were at least four 1-in-1,000-year rainfall events across the United States — intense deluges that are thought to have roughly a 0.1% chance of happening in any given year.

I have already written quite a bit about the horrific flooding that we saw in Texas, and there has been a lot of speculation that it may have been caused by cloud seeding.

But Texas was not the only state to experience dangerous flooding. North Carolina, New Mexico and Illinois also got hammered…

Days later, on Sunday, Tropical Storm Chantal drenched parts of North Carolina. Extensive flooding was reported across the central portion of the state, with some areas receiving nearly 12 inches of rain in only 24 hours. Local officials are still confirming the total number of deaths from the flooding, all while the region is under another flood watch Thursday.

In New Mexico on Tuesday, at least three people were killed by devastating flash floods that swept through the remote mountain village of Ruidoso, about 180 miles south of Albuquerque.

And in Chicago that same day, 5 inches of rain fell in only 90 minutes over Garfield Park, prompting multiple rescues on the west side of the city.

One historic flood can be dismissed as “just a coincidence”.

But four historic floods in a single week?

In addition to the floods mentioned above, the town of Sutton, Vermont just got hit by major flooding on July 10th for the third consecutive year…

A quaint Vermont town has been inundated with biblical flooding on the same day for the third consecutive year, causing havoc for locals.

In an eerie case of Deja-vu the town of Sutton was hit with five inches of rain over a few hours on Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The quick downpour caused flash flooding and left parts of the community severely damaged.

What are the odds?

If your town keeps getting hit by “biblical flooding” on the exact same day year after year, perhaps it is time to consider relocating.

While all of this flooding has been going on, volcanoes have been “rumbling” in Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii…

Volcanoes in Alaska, Washington state, Oregon and Hawaii have recently been rumbling and even spewing lava, enough to spark a swarm of news stories. But despite the jolts and temblors, geologists say there’s no cause for alarm.

“Volcanoes can be unpredictable and there’s always chance that something bad will happen, but these recent seismic events along the Pacific Ring of Fire from Alaska to Washington to offshore Oregon are probably not directly related to each other,” said Natalia Ruppert, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earthquake Science Center in Seattle.

“This is what volcanoes do,” she said. “They come to life for a while, sometimes the earthquake activity leads to an eruption and sometimes it doesn’t.”

If you follow my work on a regular basis, then you are aware that I am particularly alarmed by the earthquakes at Mt. Rainier.

One of these days it is going to blow, and a lot of people are going to die.

Of course we are also watching for “the Big One” in southern California, and a “giant swarm of earthquakes” near the Salton Sea late last week is getting quite a bit of attention…

A giant swarm of earthquakes has struck Southern California near a major fault line that could unleash the infamous ‘Big One’ and decimate the West Coast.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that several dozen small and moderate-sized earthquakes struck the area around the Salton Sea Thursday night and Friday morning, a lake roughly 100 miles from San Diego.

The most powerful in the earthquake swarm struck at 5:55am ET Friday and was measured at 4.3 in magnitude. Since then, over 30 smaller quakes have struck the same area along the lake’s southern tip.

The Ring of Fire appears to be waking up.

We will want to watch future developments very closely.

On top of everything else, two very large fires just erupted near Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, and one of them is releasing chlorine gas into the air because a water treatment plant burned down…

The White Sage Fire, which started on July 9, has already scorched more than 20,000 acres of land and has not yet been contained, authorities said.

Meanwhile, the Dragon Bravo Fire, which exploded on July 4, is also not contained as it continues to threaten historic structures in the area and animals.

The out of control blaze also caused the park’s water treatment plant to go up in flames. Because of that, chlorine gas has been released into the air, officials confirmed after firefighters responded to the scene on the North Rim around 3.30pm Saturday.

So far this year, the number of wildfires in the U.S. has more than doubled compared to last year.

You would think that the media would want to give that more attention.

Of course so many crazy things are happening that it really is very difficult to keep up with them all.

Let me mention one more before I conclude this article.

It is being reported that an absolutely massive coronal hole has developed on the Sun…

Ben Davidson of Space Weather News issued a warning on X overnight about an Earth-facing coronal hole that could eject fast-moving solar wind toward Earth, potentially triggering elevated geomagnetic activity, including auroras and geomagnetic storms. The high-speed stream is expected to reach Earth within days.

“Now THAT is a coronal hole. Whoa momma,” Davidson said, adding,”Excess magnitude/volcanic watch is in play now. Solar wind enhancement expected Saturday/Sunday/Monday.”

I was absolutely stunned when I first saw that.

Hopefully it does not turn out to be a serious threat.

So why am I talking about all of this today?

I am talking about all of this because we really are living at a time when our planet is becoming increasingly unstable.

We have always been able to count on weather patterns to fall within certain parameters, we have always been able to count on our planet not to shake too much, and we have always been able to count on our Sun to behave in predictable ways.

Unfortunately, many of the old rules simply do not apply any longer.

And if you think that things are bad now, just wait, because conditions are only going to become even more chaotic during the crazy years that are in front of us.

Daily Jot: No, the Hardest Word

Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com

The story of Balaam and Balak in Numbers 22–25 is one of the most ironic and haunting narratives in the Torah. It’s filled with drama, satire, and sobering lessons about obedience, temptation, and the cost of compromise. At the center of it all is one simple but difficult word: No. Balak, the king of Moab, was terrified of the advancing Israelites. Instead of preparing for war, he hatched a spiritual scheme—hire the infamous prophet Balaam to curse God’s people. Balaam had a reputation. He wasn’t a fraud; he had legitimate spiritual insight. But he also had a greedy, self-serving heart, and that would be his undoing.

When Balak’s messengers arrive with their offer, Balaam does something that sounds spiritual—he seeks the LORD. And the LORD gives a clear, unmistakable answer: “You are not to go with them. You are not to curse the people because they are blessed” (Numbers 22:12). End of discussion, right? Not for Balaam. When a higher offer comes, he dares to ask God a second time—as if maybe God hadn’t thought it through the first time. The LORD gives him conditional permission but sends an angel to oppose him. Balaam is blind to the spiritual reality until his donkey—yes, his donkey—starts prophesying better than he can. The entire scene would be comical if it weren’t so tragic. The prophet of nations can’t see the angel, but the beast of burden can.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once noted, “The hardest word to hear in any language is the word no.” And that’s the heart of Balaam’s downfall. God already said no. That should’ve been enough. But Balaam wasn’t looking for obedience—he was looking for a loophole. That made him vulnerable to flattery, money, and ultimately destruction. Even after his failed attempts to curse Israel—all turned to blessings by God—Balaam couldn’t resist finding a workaround. He advised Balak on how to make Israel fall, not through curses but through corruption. Invite them into Moabite worship. Seduce them with idolatry and immorality. And it worked—24,000 died under God’s judgment until Pincas the priest rose up in righteous zeal to stop the rot.

The lesson is sharp. God doesn’t waffle. He doesn’t change His mind to fit our desires. If He says “No,” it’s for our good. And when we try to negotiate with what He’s already made clear, we’re not being spiritual—we’re being rebellious. Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:37 echo this truth: “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything more is from the evil one.” The lesson is not only about speech, but also integrity. It’s about aligning our hearts with God’s will, even when it’s hard. In a world allergic to boundaries and uncomfortable with absolutes, we need to recover the strength of “No.” Sometimes, “No” is the most loving word we can say or hear. When God says it, He’s not being harsh. He’s being holy. And in His holiness is our safety, if only we would listen the first time.

Daily Devotion: Learning to Walk

by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—they do no wrong but follow his ways. —Psalm 119:1–3

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/learning-to-walk/ - Listen

Early in our lives, we learn the importance of walking. It’s fascinating to watch infants make their way to toddlerhood as they become more and more mobile. When an infant first discovers what her limbs are capable of, usually her first instinct is to push herself up. She’s no longer content simply to lie down. She wants to take control of her little life.

She will try over and over again to coordinate the pushing up of her arms with the churning of her legs. When she does, she starts to crawl. Next, she’ll attempt to pull herself to a standing position, using whatever furniture is handy. She’ll test the strength of her wobbly little legs. She’ll discover balance.

She’ll take a tentative step—and fall. And then she’ll get back up and try again. Soon the steps will start to outnumber the falls, and she’ll be on her way to walking.

If you’re a new believer, you might be experiencing a similar pattern as you learn to walk with Christ. Psalm 119:1–3 says, “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—they do no wrong but follow his ways” (NIV). But walking according to the law of the Lord takes time, practice, and patience.

If spiritual disciplines such as prayer, worship, and studying God’s Word are new to you, it’s only natural that it takes you a while to find your balance in them. Your spiritual legs are still developing. If your lifelong reaction to sin has been to hide it, deny it, or keep it a secret from others, the idea of confessing it and asking for forgiveness may take a little time getting used to. And if you don’t yet have a working knowledge of your own faith, you’re probably not going to be comfortable talking about it with others.

But don’t let that immobilize you. Set aside time every day to talk and listen to God, even if it feels awkward. Praise Him for who He is. Thank Him for what He’s done. Ask Him to forgive your sins. Take your requests to Him. Spend time in His Word. Ask God to guide your understanding of it and show you ways to apply it in your life. Find a church where you can worship and fellowship with other believers. Look for ways to include your faith in your conversations.

Your first steps as a new believer will likely be a little shaky. You may stumble and fall more than a few times. God understands. His patience will amaze you. He doesn’t look at your outward accomplishments; He looks at what’s going on in your heart. If your intentions are sincere, He will take care of the rest in His time. The number of times you fall is irrelevant as long as it’s equal to the number of times you get back up and try again.

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