The donkey said what??!!

God can speak to us in so many different ways. Today I was reading about how God spoke through a donkey in Numbers 22. This really challenged me to be open about how I can hear from God. Some people expect only to hear from God with their ears, like a loud booming voice from the sky. Some people only think God speaks in whispers, so they need to isolate themselves to hear Him. Some people feel His peace. Some people hear Him through others. Some through the bible. And in the case of Balaam...God used a donkey.

Unfortunately for Balaam...he didnt realise what was happening. He didn't realise it was God. So everytime the donkey saw the angel of God and stopped, Balaam beat the donkey. But then the funniest thing happened. (I love the bible sometimes...it really cracks me up.) This is what it says... "Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and she said to Balaam "What have I done to you to make you beat me 3 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".

OK...lets just stop for a moment. Balaam tells the donkey that she made a fool of him. IMAGINE how much more of a fool he looks talking to a donkey!!! Anyways...the conversation with the donkey continues...
"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?" And Balaam replies "No". Oh thats the hightlight for me!! Not only is Balaam talking to the donkey...the donkey puts him in his PLACE! Bam! Whats a hilarious sight this would have been. But then it says "Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes..."

I kind of get the feeling that up until that point Balaam didnt realise that God was involved in this interaction. I mean...really?! How often does your donkey just start talking to you?! I would have fallen off my donkey at the first word...but Balaam is so mad that he cant even see the situation for what it is. How many times have you been so focused on your situation. So filled with emotion or frustration or confusion that you cant sense God talking to you, right where you are at. Sometimes it might be a closed door that you are angry about. Sometimes someone might challenge you on something and you get offended. Sometimes...like in the famous story, you are sitting on the roof and God sends you a helicopter, but you are so busy looking out for God that you miss Him!

God speaks to us in so many ways. He does speak to us in all the ways I listed at the start. Through a voice, a whisper in our hearts, the bible, other people. Just be open (and use wisdom and discernment, of course) to how God wants to speak to you or reveal himself to you. You might be going through a season where you aren't hearing from God. And yes, those seasons do exist (I think I wrote a blog last year about that...) but sometimes its because you are expecting Him to speak to you only in a certain way. Maybe its the way He spoke to you last time. But sometimes God wants to mix it up a little...to make us keep trusting Him. If everything is how we expect it and we get safe and comfortable in that, our need for faith lessens. So maybe God wants to do it a little different this time. So...be open and ready to hear from God no matter how it may present itself. But let me give you a heads up...if a donkey starts speaking to you, don't bother arguing back!!