Today is a big day in our family as my husband has an interview for a promotion at work! There are currently 2 positions available and 4 people contending for those positions. By the end of the year, there may be more (promotions), but I would certainly like to see him get promoted before the baby comes. It would mean a lot to our family to have better hours and of course a little more pay! We have been praying toward this promotion for some time, so if you are a prayer warrior, please join with us in agreement that the Lord's will be done in this situation.
While reading picture Bible stories with the little boys yesterday, we ran across the story of Balaam and his donkey. The story struck a chord with me and I felt like some of you out there needed to hear it, too. Do you remember it? The account is found in Numbers 22-24.
"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...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 back on the road. 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 pressed in close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he bear 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!" He goes on to talk to the donkey until the Lord opens his eyes and he sees the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn!
Balaam was known as the prophet who attempted to curse Israel. Even though this story does have the elements of disobedience and rebellion in the main character (that's another devotional in itself), the specific element that became a revelation yesterday was the donkey. When I thought about the metaphor between the donkey and our lives, even the part in the passage about getting into a narrow place where there's no place to "get out" takes on a different meaning. We get wedged into our circumstances and can't maneuver to the right or to the left! Sometimes we get to a place where things seem to be simply standing still in life, just as the donkey lay down under Balaam. There's nothing we can do to make things budge!
Our personal modern-version of this Bible story's donkey: the Chevy Pickup! We've been trying to sell our pickup truck for several months. We believe it is God's will for us to sell it and we wasted no time putting it on the market when we realized it was His will. We've tried everything we know to do in order to get it sold and it just isn't happening. We've never had a vehicle for sale for more than a week and let me say, it's frustrating! There have been many times where I've said, "God must have a reason why it hasn't sold yet." Sometimes I get weary in saying it and start to doubt if I even believe what I am confessing! Reading the story of Balaam opened my eyes, however, to the spiritual aspects of our situation yesterday. I felt revitalized from the faith that comes from trusting God in all things.
There's also a passage in Proverbs that tells us "there's a way that seems right to a man, but it leads to destruction." Sometimes we can't understand why God is "holding up the show", but we must trust that He knows best. Maybe He is protecting us in some way. Maybe there is a financial need we are not aware of that the truck will help provide funds for. Maybe the folks who need it don't have the ability to purchase it right now. There are many reasons that could answer the question "why".
Perhaps there are things in your life that don't seem to be moving fast enough (or at all). Are you wedged into a corner? Maybe it's financial. Perhaps it's job related. Is it relationships? Maybe you're starting a different career.
Consider the story of Balaam and his donkey. May the Lord open your eyes so that you can see the reality of the situation, grant you spiritual understanding, and plant peace in your mind today. The LORD is there to protect you and guide you on a safe journey in life! Let Him lead you today and assure you that whether things move fast or slow, He has a plan and it's for your good.
The same goes for my own family as well.
Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday, friend!
