We all experience times in life where it just feels like everything is working against us and nothing wants to go right. First, you spill coffee on your shirt right before walking out the door. Then the car won’t start and your whole day seems to follow suit. Or the one time you are in a hurry through town you seem to get stuck at every single red light. Times like these can easily send you down a rollercoaster of emotions. Throwing your whole day out of sorts and causing you to look for the day’s reset button. But in these times when things just seem to be working against you remember Balaam’s donkey and see that these things may just be keeping you from something worse.
The relationship Balaam had with his donkey was similar to the one most people have with their cars. He relied on it heavily to get him everywhere he needed to go. But the relationship went deeper than that as the donkey is a living creature. So a relationship was cultivated over time and he would have developed expectations with his animal. So when one day his donkey refused to go forward, Balaam became very upset, but only because he could not see what the donkey was keeping him from. Ultimately sparing his life even though it infuriated him at the moment.
Numbers 22:22 (ESV)
22 But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along, 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.
Numbers 22:27-34 (ESV)
27 WHEN THE DONKEY SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, SHE LAY DOWN UNDER BALAAM. AND BALAAM’S ANGER WAS KINDLED, AND HE STRUCK THE DONKEY WITH HIS STAFF. 28 THEN THE LORD OPENED THE MOUTH OF THE DONKEY, AND SHE SAID TO BALAAM, “WHAT HAVE I DONE TO YOU, THAT YOU HAVE STRUCK ME THESE THREE TIMES?” 29 AND BALAAM SAID TO THE DONKEY, “BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE A FOOL OF ME. I WISH I HAD A SWORD IN MY HAND, FOR THEN I WOULD KILL YOU.” 30 AND THE DONKEY SAID TO BALAAM, “AM I NOT YOUR DONKEY, ON WHICH YOU HAVE RIDDEN ALL YOUR LIFE LONG TO THIS DAY? IS IT MY HABIT TO TREAT YOU THIS WAY?” AND HE SAID, “NO.”
31 THEN THE LORD OPENED THE EYES OF BALAAM, AND HE SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD STANDING IN THE WAY, WITH HIS DRAWN SWORD IN HIS HAND. AND HE BOWED DOWN AND FELL ON HIS FACE. 32 AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID TO HIM, “WHY HAVE YOU STRUCK YOUR DONKEY THESE THREE TIMES? BEHOLD, I HAVE COME OUT TO OPPOSE YOU BECAUSE YOUR WAY IS PERVERSE BEFORE ME. 33 THE DONKEY SAW ME AND TURNED ASIDE BEFORE ME THESE THREE TIMES. IF SHE HAD NOT TURNED ASIDE FROM ME, SURELY JUST NOW I WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU AND LET HER LIVE.” 34 THEN BALAAM SAID TO THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, “I HAVE SINNED, FOR I DID NOT KNOW THAT YOU STOOD IN THE ROAD AGAINST ME. NOW THEREFORE, IF IT IS EVIL IN YOUR SIGHT, I WILL TURN BACK.”
This comparison between the things that at times seem to be working against us and Balaam’s donkey working against him is not meant to imply those things in our life see something we can’t. Or that God is looking to destroy us. But scripture does tell us that God is working all things for the good of those that believe. Even those things that may upset, annoy, anger, or just don’t make sense to us.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God could be using the very things we think are stopping us to save us from something else in our path. So instead of getting upset with things don’t go our way we should ask ourselves is it possible that God is keeping us from something worse. Could it be the inconveniences I am facing are actively saving me from something I could have easily walked into? God knows all things and sees every outcome. He has the ability to place things in our path that may not seem good to us but are ultimately the best thing for us.
Psalm 147:5 (ESV)
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV)
17 ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
Balaam didn’t want to get stopped in the road or have his foot crushed against the wall. He instead wanted to continue down the very path that would have lead to his death. But something that he couldn’t understand slowed him down and saved him from peril. Likewise, we never want to have our path hindered or our plans changed. We get upset when things don’t go our way but those tunings we see as bad could be what is keeping us from something so much worse.
So when you face one of those times slow down. Think about all the things this one thing could be keeping you from and thank God for it. You may not be able to see it but whatever you are facing He is working it for your good. So what do you think that God has kept you from in order to save you in the past? Hold to that going forward and remember that he could be doing the very same thing again. I’m sure going forward Balaam was always more inclined to trust the leading of his donkey after that encounter. Likewise, we should trust the Lord more and more every day as he leads us through life.
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