WHO'S YOUR DONKEY?

I will instruct you and

teach you in the way you

should go; I will guide you

with My eye.

Psalm 32:8

There were probably many Sunday schools who use the same materials who had a recent lesson in Numbers telling of Balaam and his donkey.  For years, I didn't pay much attention to the incident, but it really had a huge impact on me with now teaching it. 

 Simply, I'll review the bulk of the incident.  The king of Moab called for a medium by the name of Balaam from a distant city.  Balaam began the trip riding on a donkey that had been his for years.  However, on this trip, his donkey's bahavior was curious and suspect.

Three times, Balaams donkey misbehaved in such a way as to interrupt the trip for Balaam.  Three times the donkey avoided something only it could see...the angel of the Lord in the roadway with sword drawn.  That angel was there to make sure Balaam didn't get to achieve his task...that of putting a curse on God's people who were in route to the Promised Lane.

After it was beaten on three times, God gave the donkey a voice and God also got into the conversation.  Something I had never noticed in this incident was that the donkey saw the danger, but it was invisible to Balaam.  The donkey, by God's leading, had actually saved the life of it's master.  Through this event, Balaam came to yield himself to God.

When finished, I asked my ladies, "Who's your donkey?"  You see, we have all had one or more through the years.  It's a person who can often see things ahead of us we don't discern.  It can be any incident of life where God may use others to lovingly give us a caution regarding  a risky decision we are about to make.  At those times, God may have given a friend some insight we need to hear and perhaps heed.  You may have been one of those donkey's in time past, speaking with love and caution to another person.  Most of us have been on both sides at one time or another.

Sooooo....who's your donkey?

Father I thank You for those folks you have impressed to be honest with me regarding a questionable decision I may be considering.  You work in so many wonderful ways to love and guide us, even at times in unusual ways.  Thank You for those who have cared enough to speak up.  In Jesus' precious name....Amen.

 

GOOD CHEER    

These things I have spoken

to you, that in Me you may

have peace.  In the world

you will have tribulation; 

but be of good cheer, I

have overcome the world.

John 16:33

It wasn't until my college days that I learned about being of good cheer.  I always thought such a statement was reserved for Christmas greetings.  The above verse somehow didn't dawn on me that the thing of good cheer is for every day of the year.

I had a friend who just about drove me crazy telling me more than I wanted to hear for me to be of good cheer.  I had left home to go to a distant Christian college where I knew no one.  I must say that I wouldn't have considered my life to be one of good cheer.  I wasn't real clear on what cheer even was.  The main use of that word only reminded me of friends who had been cheer-leaders in past school days.  During an athletic event, they were loud with the message of loyalty to our school and always had a huge smile.  I don't think I ever saw a cheerleader at a game with a frown on their faces.

Still, my friend often during a week would admonish me to be of good cheer.  The hint for him was that I wasn't (and still not) a big smiler.  That's a big indicator.  He meant well, but it wasn't the encouragement I needed.

Such encouragement eventually came my way as I became more acquainted with the above verse.  The cheer spoken of isn't a cheer where someone goes around giggling through their faith.  Cheer is something much more in depth...cheer has a source and that Source is Jesus.  With Jesus, cheer is more a deep happiness based on the peace we have in Him.

Jesus said Himself that the things He spoke had real purpose, one of those being a peace that goes far beyond understanding.  Through that peace, comes almost in a natural way, a spirit of cheer.  Jesus stressed our cheer based in Him would be good.  Entertainment may give us a brief time of happiness, but cheer for the Christian is meant to be ongoing despite the ups and downs of life.  That kind of cheer has only one source, that being Jesus Himself.  So dear friend, BE OF GOOD CHEER.

Father, You do work Your will in so many ways.  Something like cheer may seem like a small thing but all You do in our lives is BIG and with purpose.  Thank You for Your using and loving us, especially through Jesus, and in that precious name I pray....Amen

BEE IN YOUR BONNET

Make no friendship with an angry man,

and with a furious man do not go.

Proverbs 22:24

It's a saying I used to hear "old folks" say when I was a little girl.  If someone was upset or really angry, it wasn't unusual to hear someone say that whoever it was had a bee in their bonnet.

It's amazing but in my growing up days, I can't recall witnessing alot of anger in people.  There were concerns regarding WW II and then even into the Korean War days that seemed to occupy people's minds.  I'm sure there were frustrations and insecurities in peoples lives, but one rarely saw anyone "fly off the handle."  It there was alot of frustration in lives, indications of anger were usually kept at a low.

If I were to describe our culture today, it would have to somewhere have the word ANGER in it.  People are even being paid to be angry taking it to the streets of various cities.  However, most angry folks don't have to be paid for their personal anger outbursts.

The above Scripture gives us a caution regarding our associations with angry people.  It's easy to take up the cause of an angry friend, thus, it's best to stay away from people who seem to live and delight in being angry.  Anger can be catching and destructive, and before we know it, we can be caught up in someone else's anger to the detriment of our own more calm leanings.

We must not allow the anger of our culture to take over our lives.  God is an amazing healer even in the area of our emotions.  Like other emotions that may entangle our lives, He always knows what to do and how to love us through it all...

Father God, I thank You that I can come to you no matter where I am emotionally.  Despite my ups and downs at times, I'm  so grateful for comfort and assurances of Your Holy Spirit.  I pray I will be more a person of love and forgiveness even if others don't seem to deserve it.  In Jesus' name....Amen