Speaking Our Mind Without Restraint…..

The entire story of Balaam is fascinating. There is so much there; a talking donkey takes the prize for the show-stopper. The point I want to emphasize here is this: we are powerless to do anything against the will of God. We are all accountable to God. But in America today, we do and say as we please. We act as though God doesn’t exist. We speak our mind whenever we “feel” like it. We hold back nothing in our speech. How contrary is this thinking to God’s word? Balaam says Himself, “but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth”. If only we all could have this mentality? It took a talking donkey to get Balaam’s full attention. What do you think it will take to get your attention? We can’t successfully oppose God. So why try? It’s as if we try because our eyes are blinded to the truth. We don’t see the Death angel standing down our path waiting to put an end to us. We need a talking donkey to warn us about our poor, blind, and rebellious attitude. Ask God for humility today. For only then will we see the accountability we have with God. And may it help us to refrain from “speaking our mind” without restraint.

18 But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God. Numbers 22:18

21 So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. 22 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, 23 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.24 Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. 27 This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.28 Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.29 “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”30 “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”“No,” Balaam admitted.31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.32 “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. 33 Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”34 Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”35 But the angel of the Lord told Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials. 36 When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land.37 “Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?” Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?”38 Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.” 39 Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth, 40 where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him. Numbers 22:21-41