"The Talking Donkey What If Question"

Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!" Numbers 22:28-29
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I'm here today to ask you a question. It is a "What if?" question. What if a donkey spoke to you? What would you do? How would you react? What if God were to do this incredibly amazing thing? What if He opened the mouth of a donkey, and let it to speak to you? Would it be enough to cause you to stop and pay attention to what He had to say? Balaam is so upset at what he perceived as the donkey's abuse of him that he doesn't even seem to notice that she is talking to him! Is it because, as a man of God the miraculous is normal in his life, so much so, that a talking donkey goes unnoticed? Or? Maybe? Maybe, it is just that he was so self absorbed and that he was soooooo caught up in himself, his plan, his path, that he even missed noticing the miraculous right in front of him? Obviously, I tend to think it is the latter.Why? Because of his next response!

Verse 31 ...Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His sword drawn in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.  God opened his eyes so that now he was seeing the same thing the donkey had seen; The Angel of The Lord, standing in the way, sword in hand. This time his reaction wasn't to argue but to drop to the ground face first and say, "I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back." vs 34

What if? What if a donkey spoke to you? Would you notice? Would it be enough to get your attention or would it take seeing The Angel of the Lord standing in the way before you stop to ask, "Is this the way you want me to go?" The thing is, Balaam was the man of God of his day and it took a talking donkey and the Angel of the Lord with sword drawn to get his attention and his willingness to go and to speak only what God would have him speak. It took a talking donkey and the Angel of the Lord to cause the man of God to even desire to do the Lord's will and not his own.

What if? What if a talking donkey were to speak to you today? Would it be enough to get your attention? Would you recognize that God had a hand in it? Would you even notice? Balaam was the prophet of God, the man of God in his day and he was so busy with his own plan, his own agenda that he almost missed being a part of God's.

What if you and I took this account of the talking donkey and realized that God was using it to speak to us today? What if you and I were to realized from it that God will do what it takes to see His word performed in the earth. What if we learned from this account of the talking donkey to stop and ask Him every day, "Lord where would you have me to go? What would You have me to speak?" before He gets to the Angel of The Lord with Sword drawn stage in things? This is where He would have me change my question from "What If?" to "Will You?"

Will you? Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

Will you? In all your ways acknowledge Him, so that He shall direct your paths!

Will you? Not be wise in your own eyes; but Fear the Lord and depart from evil. So that it will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

Will you? Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So that your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Will you? My son, not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction.

For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:5-12