Spiritual Awareness

So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. 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, Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. [Numbers 22.21-23]

Here's your sign: your donkey sees the angel of the LORD, but you do not...

If we knew nothing about Balaam's story but this fact, it would be indicting upon Balaam's spiritual awareness. Admittedly, there is much we do not know about this story, but suffice it to say, Balaam had a spiritually 'dull' side.

Unfortunately, I can relate to Balaam's story. My life has been a series of similar experiences with God. I have tried to obey God on one hand, but then done some pretty obviously stupid stuff on the other.

The sad truth about Balaam's story however, is that, in the end, Balaam did NOT get it right. He would later be destroyed for something evidently said but not recorded in the record of this event with Balak.

Perhaps we would all do well to take inventory of our lives and become aware of the least likely but conspicuous characters in our lives (the 'donkeys') who are seeing God when we are not! Our clue might be that these least likely but conspicuous characters might just be the ones who are most abrasive to us - those who make us furious.

Hmm.

Father, help me to be more aware of my surroundings. Help me to be spiritually alert - even if it means I rate no higher than a donkey...