God Uses Asses - Numbers 22

In one of his last concerts before his untimely death, the contemporary Christian artist Rich Mullins said, "And never forget that God used an ass to talk to Balaam, and He has been using asses ever since."

This is one of my favorite Bible passages, because as a minister, it helps to keep me humble. Sometimes, us in the ministry really start getting the big head, and the pride starts welling up. We start to realize that God is using us to get His Word out, but then I simply remind myself that God used a donkey to talk to Balaam, and that I should not think so highly of myself. I am nothing; God is everything. He is going to use whatever it takes to get people to hear Him, and I am just a voice to be used. Period. And in all reality, that is the way I truly want it. I hate being prideful (even though I struggle with it A LOT), because when I am prideful I am saying that I am worthy -- and that is the last thing I am!

That is one of the main themes of this passage, but there are also a couple more. One of those themes is that we should respect anyone who is giving the Word of God, even if it is just an ass (pun intended). Anyone is being capable of transmitting the Word of God to us and we should be conscious of all of those mediums. A lot of people say that only "special" people could be used to bring us God's prophecy, but I don't believe that. I think the truth is, God can use anyone and anything to get through to us. On Facebook just today I noticed where a friend wrote a note saying that God really speaks to him through movies. We should always be aware that God is talking to us and trying to tell us things, we just need to look for it more. There is a hit by George Strait that is out entitled "I Saw God Today" and it is about picking up on God's voice in the normal, mundane things of life. And just as the song says, we need to look and listen a lot more than we do.

This leads me into the final theme I picked up on in this passage. It was a sin for Balaam to not pick up on what God was saying to him. A sin! That puts it into perspective how much we really should be listening to God and searching for what He is telling us right now! When you stop listening and looking for God, you are bound to step out of His Will, and anything that goes against God is sin. Plain and simple. Search for God, listen to what He has to say, and do it. You follow that, and I think you will then really have life and have it more abundantly.


Now, just as a side note, after reading this today I really find it amazing about how true and real God's Word really is. It seems like my daily quiet time just fits right in with what is happening in my life. Nothing else I could have read could hit more close to home than this passage with what has happened in my life today. It answered so many questions for me and was so in my face that it was like God slapped me on the back of the head and said, "Open your eyes, son!". God truly is amazing, and it makes me hunger and thirst for His Word even more because it helps me to see just how alive His Word truly is. Thank you, God!