Hearing God

This week the children have been learning about hearing God. I was once asked if a child could even hear God. I would say that they are more in tune to God than we are. That is part of the reason why Jesus said we must become like little children. The story of Balaam and the donkey has been their focus. The story is found in Numbers chapter 22. Balaam was historically known as a pagan priest. Someone who would interpret peoples dreams, cast spells on people and use evil methods to predict the future. He was a worshiper of many gods and never thought of looking to God for guidance. One morning God had had enough and in verse 22 it says "God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him." It is here that we see that God is willing to use anyone or anything to get our attention. He used Balaam's donkey to get his attention. For Balaam this was a humiliation for God to use an animal of burden to get him to obey. In verse 29 Balaam says to the donkey "You have made a fool of me!" But God helped Balaam to listen and to be able to hear Him. It took using a donkey to get him to listen. As I write this I wonder, what has God used to get my attention? When I was in high school He used a friend to help me to hear Him and to answer my call into ministry. I had decided that I would be a professional photographer and not follow what God had told me to do. I had a friend come up to me right before graduation and like Balaam's donkey made me stop and listen to what my heart and God was saying. I love the end of this story in chapter 22 when Balaam finally reaches Balak, a man who did not like God but worship other gods. Balak was angry because Balaam was late and Balaam says to him in verse 38 "Well, I have come to you now, but can I say just anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth." Like me and probably you even after we finally hear God we still have a lot to learn. There is always more to learn. Read on into Numbers through chapter 24 and find out what happens to Balaam.

"These false teachers left the right road and lost their way, following the way Balaam went. Balaam was the son of Beor, who loved being paid for doing wrong. But a donkey, which cannot talk, told Balaam he was sinning. It spoke with a man's voice and stopped the prophet's crazy thinking." - from My Time with God.