But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice. 2 Pet. 2:16

Ever hear a piece of a conversation or a snippet of a song or even a roadside sign that seemed like a personal message? If  those messages don’t contradict the Word of God, it’s worth considering the possibility that God is involved. Better to stay attuned to His voice and on a sane course so God doesn’t have to resort to jawbones, but He loves us enough to use some unique sources in order to drive His message home.

Lord, keep me from mad courses even if You have to bray!

They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 2 Pet. 2:19

Besetting sins are like little gift cards tucked away in the back of a wallet. In a particular environment, with certain people, honestly, only very occassionally do we pull out the cards. Just when we feel we need to treat ourselves. Most of the time we get along knowing they’re in there and we’ve got the option to use them. If this is how sin looks then it’s still in control.

Lord, I’m ready to turn in my sin cards. Again. This time You clean out my wallet.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him… These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. 2 Pet. 1:4-5a

Trying to be a decent human being is frustrating. Our default setting is selfishness and it’s embedded deep in human nature. Goodness comes from God. He offers to reset our selfish natures to reflect  His own good nature. How we respond to that offer can change how we respond to everything else.

Lord, help my responses reflect Your nature today.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 2Pet. 1:5-7

We can’t earn our way into the Kingdom of God by being good, but we can choose how we respond to His goodness. He offers us His own character as a result of faith. Faith acts as a springboard into internalizing the nature of Christ.

Lord, I want Your goodness.

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 2 Pet. 1:4

Human beings have a natural instinct for making our own trouble and tend toward destructive wants and selfishness.  Even though we know the good things God promises we often choose to chase our own brand of  trouble. If we chase His truth instead He shares His own nature with us to redirect our tendencies toward spiritual health and unselfishness.

Lord,  thank you for the promises that change me.