Monday, February 21, 2011

the limited donkey gig.

Enter: Balaam.   Know him?

He's the man who was riding the donkey who talked in the bible. In the book of Numbers to be exact. Ok, so he was a major fence sitter. Profiting from both good and evil deeds.. a soothsayer. He used words to get his point across. Imagine my surprise when God woke me up out of a dead sleep to remind me that donkey's do indeed talk.

My biggest question was... why do I have to study Balaam? the talking donkey gig is so overused.

A bit perturbed, I go on the hunt.. bring out the big books that the Lead Singer has on the shelves that are full of print that you have to be super human to read it's so small. And I find something so cool.. that I just have to share it with you.

The donkey... was a female.


not what you expected?

Welcome to my world. Here I was hoping that God had this amazing adventure in this story in Numbers, and all I come away with so far is that Balaam's donkey was a girl. God impresses on my heart to dig further.. look closer.

Well, female donkeys are loyal, almost always doing exactly what they are "told." They are hard workers and very very strong. They will do anything for you, even keeping you from harm... they are that loyal, but as far as I know, they don't normally talk.. oh and they are called jennys.



"And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand." 
Numbers 22:23

The donkey. She saw and she did something. She ran off the road, she ran into a cliff, she unintentionally hurt the man she carried... to save him from what she thought was a danger.

And Balaam responded in anger, harsh words. physical abuse.

That's when the donkey talked. 

"What have I done to you, 
that you have stuck me these three times?"

and Balaam answered her.



Have you ever thought it weird that Balaam talked back to his donkey? He didn't stop and say.. "Wow my donkey just talked..." Balaam had lost it, he wasn't even thinking clearly.

 God in all his wisdom and glory came and showed Himself strong.

"Then the Lord, opened the eyes of Balaam, 
and 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."



It's not as cold outside as it has been, and the snow capped parking lots are melting back into form and function. He has come to make things new. He in His great splendor designed creation so that life wouldn't be a vast tundra of frozen forever. He uses whatever possible to melt whatever He wants.. so that the beauty underneath can be uncovered and seen. He even uses talking donkeys, which I'm certain the sex of the animal is not the point.

The story of Balaam goes on of course, God filled him with His words

Balaam needed a major heart and behavior melt so dramatic that it altered his course so that God could shine His glory. How fun to know that God would use any means possible to get to us. He loves us that much. His Words are that important.


I stand back, looking into the Words of the Creator, and I breathe Him in deep, and my heart melts once again. He would use anything. Anything.

How often do I limit Him?

No comments: