Numbers 22:23–And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 

Discipline of any kind can be narrowed down to “aligning ourselves to what we know to do is right”.  Whether that is portion control of our meals, to getting enough exercise or sleep, or refraining from something we know we should.  Yet it’s not the lack of knowledge that generally leads us down the path of wrong, but blinding and willful pride that does…

If you have children or have had to help baby sit a child before, many times the struggle is not teaching them, but enforcing what they already know to do.  But because of their own will to be undeterred in what they want, we end up having to discipline them to do what is right, necessary, and safe!

But the need for discipline is not something we can escape at a certain age either.  Much like the prophet Balaam, who knew what to do, but deceived himself in finding a way to disobey the Lord.  We can be like the prophet, and have clear understanding of our own boundaries, yet still be enticed to disregard them because we want what we want! (James 1:14)

The prophet Balaam lusted for the honor and treasure he would gain from the King if he did what he wished.  Yet God told Balaam clearly that the people of Israel are blessed, so don’t entertain the king’s request to have them cursed.  But we find Balaam on a donkey, heading in the direction to compromise what God called him not to.  Blinding pride to follow his lust, and deaf to any discipline whatsoever…

The passage says, “that the donkey saw the angel of the Lord”, but Balaam didn’t.  Which shows how we can be willfully blind to what God desires, because we want what we desire.  Challenge yourself and ask whether you allow anyone to tell you anything different than what you want?  Much like the donkey, many times people who are around us are not blinded by the same lust we are, and may see the Lord clearer than we are seeing Him.  The question is whether we listen or chastise them for challenging us?

In His Love, Ld