Balaam said: Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me. Balaam shows up ready to curse Israel, but every time he opens his mouth to speak a curse, a blessing comes out instead. His lips won't cooperate with his intentions. He's been hired to curse, but the words that come out are about how Israel is blessed, how Israel is holy, how no one can overcome Israel. It's comical and tragic. Balak keeps moving him to different locations, thinking the problem is the view, the perspective, the angles. Maybe from this hilltop the curse will work. But it doesn't. No matter where Balaam stands, he blesses instead of curses. There's something liberating about this. Sometimes the truth is bigger than our intentions. Sometimes words that we've prepared carefully come out differently because the spirit is moving through us. Sometimes we're surprised by our own words. I think about times I've tried to speak harshly to someone but found myself speaking kindly instead. Times I've planned to argue but found myself listening. Times the words that came out were better than the words I'd planned. Maybe God is bigger than our preparations.
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