My today's reading in the Scriptures was about the story of Balaam, the donkey, and the Angel of the Lord (Numbers 22).One morning God had given instruction to Balaam to begin down a road to a certain destination with the leaders of Moab - Balaam faithfully hopped on his donkey to begin the journey the Lord had instructed him to take when suddenly down the road his donkey stopped. Balaam struck his donkey and demanded for the donkey to continue. Balaam did this three times, each time the donkey stopped. Finally God in His mercy for the donkey and for Balaam, opened the mouth of the donkey to help Balaam see and hear the Angel of the Lord, and what God was revealing through his donkey. Numbers 22:30-33 states:

“So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”
And he said, “No.”
Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

This struck my heart today with our Lord’s encouragement and reminder to pay attention when we have been going down a road which we believe He has given us to walk, and suddenly a hindrance arises. Sometimes I have assumed in the past that this road would take me to a certain destination which I believe He stated we were to go, when God all along knew that He would divert me down another road to another end destination or just take me to a diversion path along the way returning at some point to the path to the original destination; or possibly with a different purpose for the journey than I assumed or thought He had given ….. When we are hindered along the road journey we believe God has called for us to pursue, I think we sometimes default to the thinking that it must be the Enemy thwarting or coming against us (which can and is true at times) and we begin to insist on barreling down that road at all cost thinking we are going to take the victory over Satan and get to our destinations regardless of the enemy’s schemes– I believe His encouragement to my heart this morning is this:

Sometimes when we are hindered it is not the Enemy – it is instead God trying to get our attention that He desires to take us on a side-trip along the journey for whatever reason He may have or that He wants to share something with us about a different intention of purpose that He has for the journey – I think we can assume the change is for a very Good reason in His heart to bless us and to bless all those along the road and journey He has for us to encounter other hearts and lives.

This story reminds me to Not always assume one reason why and when I am hindered along the way although I believe God started me on a road to a certain destination. When there arises a hindrance in the road, it is time to stop and inquire of Him what is He doing and what does He want me to see and hear from Him, and where does He want me to go with the great anticipation that He may be taking me on a wonderful side trip along the way.

Have fun today with our Lord on the road He and you are traveling today - embracing any and every hindrance along the way with an anticipation of God, inquiring of Him what He might be saying or doing as the hindrances that arise to your plans may be one of His surprise, of a blessing He has for you and for the others you will encounter along today’s journey with your life with Christ.

God bless you!