“10 Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, “I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now go to your home! I said I would reward you richly, but look, the Lord has denied you a reward.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I previously tell the messengers you sent me: 13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the Lords command, to do anything good or bad of my own will? I will say whatever the Lord says.'””
Numbers 24:10-13
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We should never be so disillusioned with God that we assume that we have any kind of pull or control over Him, or that we can successfully circumvent His will. Balak was under the impression that money or his perception of his own power would be enough to accomplish whatever he wanted. But, as always, human pride has nothing on God’s actual power and no control over His will.

So many times, we want to give ourselves permission to do something without considering God, or His desires. We just do whatever it is we want to do, and we might stop to consider it afterward. Rather than consulting God, rather than weighing the cost, we decide that we know best, we just assume that our plans are without fault, and we proceed ahead with our own plans.

But no plan made without considering God is ever going to be a good plan. We can, in our limited ability, force certain things to occur. But no real change will ever take place simply because we will it. The more it is built on us and what we can do, the more shaky and crumbling our foundation will become. Balak found that out rather quickly, and even had some prophetic statements made about him and other nearby nations. God let him know, in no uncertain terms, just how secure his future was for standing against God and His people. And the pride that drew him to fight against God and His people is the same pride that would destroy him.

As we GoLove others in the Name of Christ, we must accept the guidance of the Spirit in our day to day decision making, considering God’s will before our own, and making plans with Him rather than seeking His approval after we have already started. A life lived in step with the Spirit is a life that will honor God. A life that is centered around the will of God will be a life that points other eyes and hearts toward Him, glorifying Him. A life that runs of its own volition is a life that points toward self, and the limited range of human capability. A life that will matter must be a life built on the promises and instruction of the Lord.