I Don’t Want to Be a Donkey
“Then the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.”
Numbers 22:23 (NLT)
Balaam was so focused on his stubbornness and his own desires that he couldn’t see what his donkey clearly saw: the angel of the Lord blocking the road. Three times the animal tried to stop to avoid danger, and three times Balaam beat it. In the end, God had to give the donkey a voice to open Balaam’s eyes. This story teaches us that many times we too can be stubborn, closing our ears to God’s voice until He uses unusual methods to get our attention.
- Stubbornness blinds us
Balaam didn’t see what was right in front of him because he was blinded by his own interests. Many times we cling to our own will and fail to discern God’s direction, even when He is clearly showing us something else. - God always warns before danger
The angel was there to stop him, not to harm him. In the same way, when God places obstacles, it’s not to frustrate us but to deliver us from a greater harm. - Repeating mistakes hardens us
Balaam struck the donkey three times. His stubbornness led him to persist in error. When we don’t listen the first time, God speaks to us again in different ways, but every resistance lengthens the process and increases the consequences. - God uses unexpected instruments
A talking donkey is surprising, but it was the means God used to open Balaam’s eyes. God can also use people, circumstances, or even trials to make us reflect. The key is to be attentive to His voice, no matter how it comes. - It’s better to obey than to resist
Balaam could have avoided humiliation and pain if he had followed God’s direction from the beginning. We too must learn that obeying on time saves us from many unnecessary wounds.
“Then the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.”
Numbers 22:23 (NLT)
Think About It:
- Are there areas in my life where I am insisting on my own plans instead of listening to God’s voice?
- What “angels in the road” has God placed to stop me that I have not wanted to see?
- What unexpected means has God used to speak to me lately, and what should I do about it?