A Talking Donkey

I've just finished reading the incredible story of Balaam & his talking donkey from Numbers 20ff.

It just makes me smile every time I read it...our God is so awesome, so creative, so interested in interacting with us and guiding us and leading us the right way. But He's also curious (not in a "i don't know what will happen" sort of way, but in a "let's see how he/she will take this..." sort of way) about how much we will trust Him or listen to Him.

I think my favorite part in the story is when Balaam and the donkey are talking...yes, talking, as in having a conversation. It's not enough to simply be in awe that the donkey spoke, Balaam has to talk back to her. Let's listen in...

26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"
29 Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."
30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said.

It's such an amusing story. Go to www.biblegateway.com and look up Numbers 22 to see how it ends. You'll have to go into chapters 23 & 24 as well.

After reading that, I have a new sense of openness to the Lord's voice, as I just really don't know where it might originate! :)