I was reading one of my favorite stories today and had to ask myself a question: Am I as aware and smart as a donkey? Strange question I know. But if you read Numbers 22-24 you may ask the same. A Moabite king wanted a diviner/prophet to curse God's people Israel. They were willing to pay handsomely for it. They were afraid that God's people were going to take them over. Balaam, the prophet, refused to go with them at first, and then agreed. As he went, the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam did not see the angel, but his donkey did. Three times the donkey turned to go away from the angel and three times Balaam, thinking the donkey was being stubborn, beat him to get him back on track. Then the Lord opened two things: the mouth of the donkey to speak and the eyes of Balaam to see.
I laugh to think of a man talking back to his talking donkey. But I cry to realize that I can be like Balaam. The angel told Balaam:
32 The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”
Sometimes the path we are on is reckless and God works behind the seen to oppose it so we are not destroyed. A donkey can see it clearly. But I may not.
I pray today that my eyes would be open to see the danger in the road I am on, or at least that I would be open to hear the warnings of any donkey God sends to question what I am doing.
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