devices for the accomplishment of His deep designs. The Lord
permits His people to be subjected to the fiery ordeal of temptation, not
because He takes pleasure in their distress and affliction, but because
this process is essential to their final victory. He could not,
consistently with His own glory, shield them from temptation; for the very
object of the trial is to prepare them to resist all the allurements of
evil.

Neither wicked men nor devils can hinder the work of God, or shut out His
presence from His people, if they will, with subdued, contrite hearts,
confess and put away their sins, and in faith claim His promises. Every
temptation, every opposing influence, whether open or secret, may be
successfully resisted, "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,
saith the Lord of hosts."(926)

"The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto
their prayers.... And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of
that which is good?"(927) When Balaam, allured by the promise of rich
rewards, practised enchantments against Israel, and by sacrifices to the
Lord sought to invoke a curse upon His people, the Spirit of God forbade
the evil which he longed to pronounce, and Balaam was forced to exclaim:
"How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom
the Lord hath not defied?" "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let
my last end be like his!" When sacrifice had again been offered, the
ungodly prophet declared: "Behold, I have received commandment to bless:
and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity
in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is
with him, and the shout of a King is among them." "Surely there is no
enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel:
according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath
God wrought!"(928) Yet a third time altars were erected, and again Balaam
essayed to secure a curse. But from the unwilling lips of the prophet, the
Spirit of God declared the prosperity of His chosen, and rebuked the folly
and malice of their foes: "Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is
he that curseth thee."(929)

The people of Israel were at this time loyal to God; and so long as they
continued in obedience to His law, no power in earth or hell could prevail
against them. But the curse which Balaam had not been permitted to
pronounce a