Half-hearted Prophets and Compromised Faith - Part 1

Adversity has the tendency to harden the heart and create bitterness or even despair. Some ways people try to avoid adversity are by changing jobs, moving, getting divorced, or trying to manage their hurt and pain by seeking short-lived pleasures. Balaam, the Old Testament prophet, left the straight narrow way to run after wealth and escape the obstructions of poverty.

It wasn't just lusting after riches that pulled Balaam off the straight path.  He wanted to escape a lifestyle of being a con man who lived a life of deception. The heart of the matter was that adversity had hardened his heart and created a sick, unhealthy way of thinking which led to abandoning God’s purpose for his life.

Balaam, a half-hearted prophet, refused to follow God's instructions after permitting unrighteousness to get a foothold in his life. Unrighteousness included unhealthy thought patterns, unwholesome feelings, and sinful actions which he refused to reject. You wage war on unrighteousness with God's word and prayer. May God bless and keep you close to himself.