Every time I hit the portion of scripture about Balaam's donkey in my daily Bible study, I am struck anew by the lengths to which God will go to turn us from our evil or ill-begotten path. If you don't know the story, you should open your Bible right now to Numbers 22. The general gist of the story is Balaam is asked by the king of Israel's enemies to curse Israel. He heads off on his donkey to do so, and the donkey stops and will go no further. The donkey sees an Angel of the Lord blocking the path which Balaam cannot see. Balaam beats his poor donkey, and then the donkey talks and tells Balaam that an angel of the Lord is standing in the path, and what a dumbkoff Balaam is for thinking his obedient donkey was defying him for no reason. The angel was sent specifically to turn Balaam from his unGodly mission.
How many donkeys have I metaphorically beaten to circumvent God's purposeful obstruction of my terrible plans? I can think of quite a few in retrospect. It would be much easier if God would just show us the angel blocking the path...but He usually doesn't. We have to discern if we are to stop and turn back because God is blocking us...or are we to persevere through obstacles placed by Satan to frustrate God's purposes?
My study today didn't offer any magic solution towards how to solve the question of which of these situations it is, except for one suggestion. No matter which of those two choices it is, the best and first way to discern is through prayer. I would add a few suggestions from looking back on my life. Is your path lined with sin? Is the goal you are riding towards sin? Turn back. Here's another hint. If a donkey starts talking, turn back.
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But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the
Lord
took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the
donkey, and his two servants were with him. And the donkey saw the angel
of the
Lord standing in the road, with a drawn
sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went
into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road.
Then the angel of the
Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. And when the donkey saw the angel of the
Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. Then the angel of the
Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. ...
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should
leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am
strong.
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause
divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have
been taught; avoid them.
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because
God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who
has been given to us.
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