Stubborn as a Donkey

595.  " Stubborn as a Donkey"              August 29, 2012
2 Peter 2-Part 5
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of righteousness.  2 Peter 2:15 KJV

LET IT GLOW

Have you heard the saying, "she's as stubborn as a donkey"? I have heard that donkeys will not go where they don't want to go. In fact, they will sit down and not move. Nothing can budge them until they are ready. Yes, Linda has been and can be as stubborn as a donkey.

Well, friend, it is my confession time. I can be that way-so determined to have my way, even if it is the wrong way, not the Lord's way for me. It was getting close to school time, when I was offered two positions at two different schools-one was a new Christian school and the other was a public school.
My faith failed and I took the teaching position at the public school, which paid many thousands more. It was not the way God wanted me to go, but my own way. I stayed there four years encountering many problems.

 I was like Balaam in Numbers 24-25. In case you don't know the story of the talking donkey, I'll tell it briefly.
Balak, king of the Moabites, who were Israels' enemies, sent men to bring the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, their enemy. Balaam refused two times, but then when he was offered gold and silver and honor, Balaam couldn't refuse. His heart was covetous. he sought the Lord's will in the matter. God let Balaam go meet the king, but Balaam was to only say what God put in his mouth to say. (We see God's permissive will.) On his way, Balaam's donkey encountered an angel of the Lord with a drawn sword, three times, and finally fell down. After  Balaam had beat the donkey three times, it spoke to its master. When Balaam's eyes were opened, he saw why the donkey would not go. (Balaam had been just as stuborrn as his donkey.)

As the story goes, God did not permit Balaam to curse Israel. However, Balaam told the king how he could defeat Israel-invite the Jews to a feast, an orgie. Israel participated and thousands ended up dead. 

Balaam was a man who could get messages from God, yet he led people away from God. Peter warns his readers of this. Sometimes animals obey God and their masters do not.

Friends, it took a talking donkey(actually a person acting like one) in my life to get me out of that place where I was not supposed to be. I quit the job, repented, and let God heal my cuts that words made. I don't ever want to repeat that lesson again. I will go where God leads, riding my weak flesh all the way. (I did teach one year at the other school.) That's another story.

Are you stubborn, too? An you pray for God's will, God's way, today?

LET IT GROW

Petre describes Balaam's weakness and love as the " wages of unrighteousness." His covetous heart was after the money-bottom line. He was rebuked of wrong doing by a donkey. What does it take for me to listen and obey God?

Luke 16:11 asks, If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Luke 16:13b says, Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Mammon  is riches, wealth.

LET IT GO

Let go of money and go with God.

Have a submissive spirit, not a stubborn spirit.

Listen and obey the Holy Spirit.