The stupid, smelly donkey was trying to warn disobedient Balaam, that God was about to strike him dead! In fact the donkey was actually in a desperate bid to save Balaams neck...but Balaam was so blind that he could not see the reality of what was going on. All Balaam saw was a silly donkey getting in the way of his plans! And what did donkey get for her trouble? A "healthy beat down" from her master, Balaam.
Today we see the same thing happening in churches all over around the world. God has sent His little "donkeys" into His church. They are not perfect, and they are probably a little stupid, but they are simple, no-frill believers who just love the Truth and want to see God and His Word glorified. They are sent to stir churches and warn them that they have strayed from Gods ways, that they are no longer a pure expression of the body of Christ. They are sent to churches where people can sit through meetings, Sunday after Sunday with not even the slightest conviction for their sin and rebellion. In these churches, deep repentance is needed and God sends His donkeys to sound the alarm! They call on Gods people to stop playing at religion, and to stop pretending that they love one another if all they really have is superficial worldly love found in any number of social clubs.
Now, some churches listen to the little donkeys, and some even repent, but most harden their hearts and turn against the donkeys by beating, slandering and gossiping about them within the churches. It is a story as old as human history. You will always have your "Balaam-the-beaters" beating on the "Gods-mouthpiece-donkeys". But instead of being encouraged to listen to the donkeys, most churches warn people to keep away from them, "be careful, they are dangerous, lots of draw backs and red flags there". And this happens because, like Balaam, these leaders can no longer see or hear the Lord. To them, it appears that Gods little donkeys are a nuisance. They are stubborn troublemakers who will not fall in and become team players. They just refuse to tow the party line! OF COURSE THEY WON'T FALL INTO LINE YOU FOOLISH BALAAMS!!!
They cannot move forward with the Balaams because they can see the Lord!!!
They see that destruction is imminent and they are more afraid of God than they are of the Beating-Balaams!
Two thousand years ago Jesus threatened to remove His lampstand from some of His local churches. Today it is no different, He is still warning and He is still threatening to do the same, unless we repent.
Are we listening though? Are we listening to the warnings of the little donkeys? Or will we ignore them to our peril? If we do ignore them, then we can be certain that very soon "ICHABOD" will be written over our churches...."the Glory has departed". No-one wants that to happen, least of all our precious Lord Jesus. That is why He opens the mouths of His little donkeys, because He loves us and is full of mercy, desiring that none perish. Will we listen? Will we stop and turn around before it is too late?
May we all humble ourselves and turn from our own ways, and come back to the Lord while there is still time!