“Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” (Numbers 22:28 NIV)
When you have a roadblock in your life, check your heart. Balaam, our hero, has been summoned by Balak, king of the Moabites. Balak has new neighbors, he wants Balaam to come and curse them so they will leave. Balaam, a man of God, seeks His will. God tells him to go, but he’s only to do what God tells him to do. Balaam starts down the road but immediately comes upon a roadblock:
“But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.” (Num. 22:22 NIV)
Not understanding, Ballam immediately starts beating the donkey. Why, would God block the road with an angel after telling Balaam to go? Because God knew Balaam’s heart. When you have a roadblock in your life, check your heart.
When you have a roadblock in life, check your heart.
The reason God blocked the road was because He knew what was in Balaam’s heart:
“They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.” (2 Peter 2:15 NLT)
God knew, before Balaam ever got to Moab, he was going to betray God. He was going to let Balak pay him to curse the neighbor’s land. Balaam, in this case, loved money more than he did obedience to God. God was protecting Balaam from himself. God knew his heart was so hardened, the only way to get his attention was to talk to him through a donkey.
Balaam eventually got the message, but not until he had beaten his donkey three times. After the third beating, the donkey finally talks. Unfortunately, even this doesn’t immediately tip Balaam off. He starts arguing with the donkey, he acts as if arguing with a donkey is a daily activity. His heart was hardened to what God was doing. He couldn’t see the angel standing in front of him until God opened his eyes. Only then did Balaam finally begin to understand what was happening. God dealt with his heart issues. God did let him go to Moab, but after meeting God on the road, his heart had changed:
“Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.” (Numbers 22:38 NIV)
If God has placed a roadblock in your life, the first thing to do is check your heart.
Question of the Day:
What roadblock is your heart facing today?
Further Reading: Numbers 22:21-23:30 NIV, Luke 1:57-80 NIV, Psalm 58:1-11 NIV, Proverbs 11:12-13 NIV
