...other meditations

hee-haw!

one of the lowliest and humble creatures is the donkey. they are used for many work purposes because of this quality. however, like most working animals, they become a bit stubborn at times. so, a little push (or pull) might be necessary. donkeys just don't think the way their masters do. thinking about this subject, i am reminded of a guy and his donkey from the old testament. this is an amazing story of how God mightily used a man named balaam and his donkey to fulfill His will and purpose.

while reading about balaam and his donkey, i actually began to wonder which of the two was more stubborn. the story of balaam actually begins in numbers 22 and ends in numbers 24. if you wanted to get a good read in, you can click the link below to read the full passage. below is just a snippit of what happened to balaam and his donkey so long ago.

a little background first: balaam, known for his divination, was summoned by balak, the king of the moabites, to place a curse on israel. why? well, let's just say that balak felt threatened by the israelites' power. balaam refused to do anything until he discussed things with God. when God spoke, balaam knew that putting a curse on israel was forbidden. yet, balak's men came back with more authority and demanded for balaam's help again. still, balaam held out for a word from God. when God gave permission to balaam to travel to moab to see balak and to wait on His word, balaam took this as the big "ok". God, knowing the heart of balaam and his wrongful intentions, used his donkey to break down his rebellious and stubborn behaviour…

that night God came to balaam and said, "since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you." balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of moab. But God was very angry when he went, and the Angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in His hand, she turned off the road into a field. balaam beat her to get her back on the road.

then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pressed close to the wall, crushing balaam's foot against it. so he beat her again.

then the Angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to balaam, "what have i done to you to make you beat me these three times?"

balaam answered the donkey, "you have made a fool of me! if i had a sword in my hand, i would kill you right now." the donkey said to balaam, "am i not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? have i been in the habit of doing this to you?" "no," he said. then the Lord opened balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the road with His sword drawn. so he bowed low and fell facedown.

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. the donkey saw Me and turned away from Me these three times. if she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her."

balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, "i have sinned. i did not realize You were standing in the road to oppose me. now if You are displeased, i will go back." the Angel of the Lord said to balaam, "go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." so balaam went with the princes of balak. numbers 22:10-35

i believe balaam got the picture after hearing his donkey talk! yet, even though balaam was disobedient and rebellious, God still used him. he actually did many great things that was asked of him. you can read more about that in numbers 23 and 24.

i am a pretty stubborn individual as well. how often does God speak to me, telling me to do something, but i do another. like balaam, i want things my way; i think i know what's right. this is just one of my flaws. maybe it's the youngest child-always-wanting-to-get-what-i-wanted syndrome creeping in. or maybe it's simpler than that. maybe i'm more like a donkey, in the sense that i just don't think the way my Master thinks. whatever the reason, it doesn't make it right.

i know for certain that God uses situations in my life to help grow me in this area. but, it's up to me to recognize the voice of God, step up to the plate and be willing for change. thankfully, even in my failings, i am still of some good use to Him. in spite of me, He can still use me. i may not be sure where the voice of God will come from next. a donkey? hmmmmm…. but, my ears need to be ready to listen and my heart needs to be ready to obey none-the-less.

a stubborn child,
lovingly corrected by the hand of God,

tamara

the full reading of numbers 22-24