DayBreaks for 6/09/14 – Oh, For the Vision of a Donkey!
NOTE: This week’s DayBreaks are from the archives of June, 2004.
It isn’t very often that animals have spoken. In fact, there are only 2 times when it appears in Scripture. One was in the garden of Eden when the serpent spoke to Eve. In that case, the animal spoke words straight from the pit of hell. It wasn’t a very fortuitous conversation for the entire human race, and it certainly wasn’t funny.
In the second case, at least from the standpoint of a bystander watching the conversation, it must have seemed hilarious. Balaam was on his way to the land ruled by King Barak. Barak had asked for Balaam, a prophet, to come and curse Israel because he’d seen what they’d done as they came into the Promised Land. Barak was afraid and figured that if Balaam cursed Israel, that the gods would grant him victory over the armies of Israel. Balaam inquired of God whether or not he should go and curse Israel, and God originally told him not to go. Eventually, after a return visit from emissaries from Barak, God told Balaam that he could go – but that he could only say what God told him he could say. With that, Balaam saddled up his donkey and they went off to see what would happen. Along the way, however, Balaam’s donkey spoke to him.
But what interests me about the story isn’t that the donkey spoke – after all, the serpent had spoken long before the time of Balaam. What interests me is that the donkey had the ability to see things (in this case, an angel of the Lord) that Balaam couldn’t see. As a result, the donkey tried to avoid the angel and Balaam, being blind to the heavenly reality, beat the donkey until the donkey rebuked him for his cruelty.
Isn’t it just like us to get frustrated because we CAN’T see heavenly reality? And what does it say about us that a donkey (know for not being too bright) can see the angel when mortal men can’t? I don’t want to take the point too far, but it seems that we just don’t see spiritual realities very well. Perhaps it’s just because we are too wrapped up in physical reality. Or, worse yet, we may think that we see spiritual reality just fine (after all, Balaam was a prophet to whom God had spoken) and in our pride we don’t realize how blind we are.
I hope that someday I’ll be able to have the eyesight of a donkey and see God and His Presence everywhere!
Rev. 3:17-18 (NLT) – You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.
Copyright by 2014 Galen C. Dalrymple. ><}}}”>
PRAYER: Father, our vision is so handicapped, yet we think we see and know it all! Open our eyes to see truth! In Your name, Amen.
Copyright 2014 by Galen C. Dalrymple
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