Have you ever been going through life and out of nowhere, there was a sudden stop? There was no plan for “it.” It all happened out of the blue. You were stopped in your tracks with no time to prepare. Maybe “it” was a job layoff, the end of a relationship, an unexpected diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, and the list goes on. As a result, all you knew was that there was a sudden stop. What do you do? Can you start again? What’s next?
The Story: Numbers 22
In Numbers 22, Balak, king of Moab, requested the presence of Balaam to deal with the overpopulation of the Israelites. Through the request, Balak wanted him to come and curse the people of Israel. When the visitors arrived, Balaam asked them to wait while he sought the Lord. The response from God was that Balaam wasn’t to go to Moab with them or curse Israel. With this response, the men returned alone and notified the king. The lack of Balaam’s presence displeased the king so he sent more men to encourage Balaam to come.
Balaam repeated the same steps. Since the Lord knew the men were there, he told Balaam to go with them, but only say what God said. As a result, Balaam headed to Moab with the men. On the way, an angel of the Lord blocked the path because of God’s anger. Although Balaam couldn’t see the angel, who was ready to strike him, his donkey did. Therefore, the donkey made a sudden stop. As a result, Balaam struck the animal. The donkey’s actions happened two more times with Balaam hitting her each time. As a result of Balaam’s actions, God allowed the donkey to speak. Then God opened the eyes of Balaam to see the angel of the Lord. Immediately, Balaam repented and fully followed the plan of God.
The Lesson
As Balaam didn’t understand the donkey’s sudden stop, the same goes for us. Despite our bewilderment, we can find hope and direction.
- Inquire of the Lord. We can seek God for direction and understanding of current events. He knows all.
- Don’t act out of emotion. Refrain from allowing uncertainty to control our emotions. Although this can be a challenge, keep them under control for they can worsen an already difficult situation.
- Repent of any missed opportunities of obedience. Sometimes, we want what we want when we want it. Yet, this isn’t God’s plan. Learn to acknowledge your errors and submit them to Him.
- Travel on. After recuperating from the sudden stop, we have lessons learned. Therefore, take the knowledge gained and proceed with the assignment at hand.
Our sudden stops are designed to teach us something, redirect us, and even bring humility. With each stop, we pick up something. For Balaam, he wholeheartedly committed to the words of God. What about us? What have learned from our sudden stop?
