Numbers 22:1-22 GNT
[1] The Israelites moved on and set up camp in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan and opposite Jericho. [2] When the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, heard what the Israelites had done to the Amorites and how many Israelites there were, [3] he and all his people became terrified. [4] The Moabites said to the leaders of the Midianites, “This horde will soon destroy everything around us, like a bull eating the grass in a pasture.” So King Balak [5] sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor near the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw. They brought him this message from Balak: “I want you to know that a whole nation has come from Egypt; its people are spreading out everywhere and threatening to take over our land. [6] They outnumber us, so please come and put a curse on them for me. Then perhaps we will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. I know that when you pronounce a blessing, people are blessed, and when you pronounce a curse, they are placed under a curse.” [7] So the Moabite and Midianite leaders took with them the payment for the curse, went to Balaam, and gave him Balak's message. [8] Balaam said to them, “Spend the night here, and tomorrow I will report to you whatever the Lord tells me.” So the Moabite leaders stayed with Balaam. [9] God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these people that are staying with you?” [10] He answered, “King Balak of Moab has sent them to tell me [11] that a people who came from Egypt has spread out over the whole land. He wants me to curse them for him, so that he can fight them and drive them out.” [12] God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them, and do not put a curse on the people of Israel, because they have my blessing.” [13] The next morning Balaam went to Balak's messengers and said, “Go back home; the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” [14] So they returned to Balak and told him that Balaam had refused to come with them. [15] Then Balak sent a larger number of leaders, who were more important than the first. [16] They went to Balaam and gave him this message from Balak: “Please don't let anything prevent you from coming to me! [17] I will reward you richly and do anything you say. Please come and curse these people for me.” [18] But Balaam answered, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not disobey the command of the Lord my God in even the smallest matter. [19] But please spend the night, as the others did, so that I may learn whether or not the Lord has something else to tell me.” [20] That night God came to Balaam and said, “If these men have come to ask you to go with them, get ready and go, but do only what I tell you.” [21] So the next morning Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite leaders. [22] God was angry that Balaam was going, and as Balaam was riding along on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants, the angel of the Lord stood in the road to bar his way.


Ezekiel 14:1-11 GNT
[1] Some of the leaders of the Israelites came to consult me about the Lord's will. [2] Then the Lord spoke to me. [3] “Mortal man,” he said, “these men have given their hearts to idols and are letting idols lead them into sin. Do they think I will give them an answer? [4] “Now speak to them and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: Each of you Israelites who have given your heart to idols and let them lead you into sin and who then come to consult a prophet, will get an answer from me—the answer that your many idols deserve! [5] All those idols have turned the Israelites away from me, but by my answer I hope to win back their loyalty. [6] “Now then, tell the Israelites what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: Turn back and leave your disgusting idols. [7] “Whenever one of you Israelites or one of you foreigners who live in the Israelite community turn away from me and worship idols, and then go to consult a prophet, I, the Lord, will give you your answer! [8] I will oppose you. I will make an example of you. I will remove you from the community of my people, so that all of you will know that I am the Lord. [9] “If any prophets are deceived into giving a false answer, it is because I, the Lord, have deceived them. I will remove them from the people of Israel. [10] Both prophets and anyone who consults them will get the same punishment. [11] I will do this to keep the Israelites from deserting me and defiling themselves by their sins. They are to be my people, and I will be their God.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.



With these two scriptures I want us to talk about decisions we make before consulting from God, what have we already decided in our hearts before we consult from God.
* Many are times we decide to make decisions of our own before the Lord has spoken to us, sometimes the Lord speaks but we choose to oppose and follow what looks good for our eyes. But first look at Balaam in numbers 22, he first consults from God and God gives him an answer saying "do not go," but after he has been presented with riches his faith in God shakes and over the same matter he goes back to God and consults on that which the Lord has already said no.
* In Ezekiel 14 we hear the leaders of Israel consulting from Ezekiel about the will of God later after they have already decided to worship idols(riches, desires of the fresh e.t.c).
In these two events God is looking at what is at the centre of there hearts and grants them answer inline with what they have already decided. Balaam because of riches had second thoughts ( doubted God's first answer because of what he saw with his eyes and lost his faith). The leaders of Israel had already been worshipping idol's before consulting from Ezekiel so God grants them according to what they desired so that life may punish them and that they may reconcile with God.

Search yourself today, when do you consult from God, is it before or after you've made a decision. If it's after, it's better to stop and re-align with God cause that your decision is leading to doom.

Have a blessed day