When King Balak sent princes to Balaam's home so that he could curse the Israelites. Balaam consulted God who told him, "If men come to call you, rise up and go with them". (Numbers 22:20-21) However, Balaam rose up and went with the princes who were already in his house.
As a result, he faced the following problems on his journey to King Balak.
Diversion of Plans
Balaam's donkey saw God's Angel standing on the road with His drawn sword and turned to the side of the road and went into a field. Balaam then struck the donkey and she returned back to the road. (Numbers 22:23)Balaam faced his first problem of diversion of plans because he was on a mission to travel from his home in Pethor to Moab where King Balak was waiting for him.
However for reasons he could not understand, since he could not see God's Angel standing on the road with his sword, he found himself in a field.
Traumatic Experiences
Balaam's donkey then saw God's Angel standing on the road with His drawn sword and turned to the side of the road in a narrow path between vineyards with a wall on both sides. The donkey then pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot. (Numbers 22:24-25)
Balaam faced his second problem of a traumatic experience for reasons he still could not understand because he could not see God's Angel standing on the road with his sword.
Termination of Plans
Balaam's donkey then saw God's Angel standing in a narrow path where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left and so the donkey had to sit down under Balaam and end his journey. (Numbers 22:26-27)
Balaam faced his third problem of termination of his plans for reasons he still could not understand because he could not see God's Angel standing on the road with his sword.
Balaam response to these persistent problems was to strike his donkey with his staff. God then opened the donkey's mouth and she asked Balaam, "What have I done that you have struck me these 3 times?" (Numbers 22:28)
He replied and told the donkey "Because you have abused me and I wish I had a sword in my hand to kill you." (Numbers 22:29)
The person who was being saved from death was the one talking about killing the donkey that was saving him from death instead of finding out why things were not going as he had planned.
His donkey then asked him, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden ever since I became yours? Did I ever behave like this before?" (Numbers 22:30)
Balaam responded by saying "No" and then God opened his eyes and eyes and saw His Angel standing on the path with this drawn sword. (Numbers 22:31)
Pray
Therefore when you face persistent problems on your journey, pray and ask God to open your eyes so that you can see why your plans are not going as expected. God is Jehovah Roi, the God Who Sees and He also opens people's eyes so that they can see what they could not see like He did for Hagar.
Repent
After God opened Balaam's eyes, the Angel asked him, "Why have you struck the donkey these 3 times? I have come out to stand against you because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside these 3 times. If she had not, I would have killed you by now and let her live." (Numbers 22:32-33)The second thing you need to do is to pray and ask God if there is something you are doing that is perverse in His sight so that you can repent and get back in right standing with Him.
If Balaam's case, his way was perverse before God because he was going with the wrong people. God had told him, "If men come to call you, rise up and go with them" (Numbers 22:20-21) but he had risen up and gone with the men in his house.
Balaam however did the correct thing for he told God's Angel, "I have sinned ... Therefore if it displeases You, I will turn back." (Numbers 22:34)
God's Angel then gave him permission to continue going with the princes of Balak but on condition that he spoke only the words God gave him. (Numbers 22:35)
Therefore if you face persistent problems as you try to do something that you think God told you to do, pray and repent of all sins and consider waiting until God gives you the go ahead because you cannot succeed doing something that God is standing against.
After you have repented, got into right standing with God and He has given you the go ahead to continue with your project, if you still face problems, understand that persistence is one of the Devices of the Devil and decide to work through them since with God's help you can succeed like Nehemiah who faced persistent problems yet he completed rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem because God was not against him.
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