When a Donkey Sees God More Clearly Than You Do

My wife and I were having a conversation yesterday that stuck with me.

The last few months haven’t been easy.

We’ve walked through some challenges, nothing unusual for life, but enough to stretch us, test us, and if I’m being honest… at times, distract us.

Not from God entirely. But from what He was actually trying to do.

Somewhere along the way, we found ourselves doing something subtle, but significant; we started focusing more on what we wanted… than what God was trying to show us.

And if you’ve ever been there, you know how easy that shift is.

It doesn’t feel like rebellion. It just feels like preference or perspective. Trying to make sense of things in a way that works for you.

She said something that caught my attention…

She told me she felt led to read Book of Numbers chapter 22, the story of Balaam and his donkey.

And then she asked a simple question: “Why would I feel led to read that?”

If you’re not familiar with it, the story is almost strange.

There’s a prophet named Balaam who is on a journey heading in a direction he thinks is right.

But Scripture tells us something important: God was actually opposed to the direction he was going.

And Balaam didn’t see it.

But his donkey did. Three times, the donkey stops.

Three times, it refuses to move forward.

Three times, Balaam gets frustrated and tries to push through anyway.

Until finally… God opens Balaam’s eyes.

And he sees what was there the whole time: An angel of the Lord standing in the path… trying to stop him.

And here’s why it hit me. As we were talking, I told my wife:

Sometimes when our heart or mind is divided, even a donkey can see God more clearly than we do.

That’s really what was happening with Balaam.

His heart wasn’t fully aligned. Part of him wanted to follow God. Part of him wanted something else. And that tension blurred his vision.

And if we’re honest?

That’s not just Balaam’s story. That’s ours.

Because most of us don’t wake up one day and decide: “I’m going to ignore God.”

It’s much more subtle than that.

We just start leaning toward what we want, justifying what feels right, or pushing past things that slow us down.

And when something interrupts our plan? We don’t always stop and ask, “Is this God?”

Sometimes we just get frustrated and try to push through harder.

The hardest part of that story is this:

God wasn’t distant. He wasn’t silent. He wasn’t hiding.

He was standing right in front of Balaam and Balaam still couldn’t see Him. Not because God wasn’t clear. But because Balaam wasn’t aligned.

On a personal level, it forced me to realize that God has not been distant, silent, or hiding over the last several months.

And in turn, it forced me to ask a hard question:

Have we been trying to move forward… when God has actually been trying to slow us down?

Not out of punishment. But out of protection. Out of direction.

Out of something better than what we were focused on.

Because sometimes the resistance you feel isn’t the enemy.

It’s simply God saying: “Not that way.”

Here’s what I’m still learning:

When things don’t move the way we expect, when doors don’t open the way we planned, when something keeps interrupting our direction; maybe the first response shouldn’t be frustration.

Maybe it should be: “God, what are You trying to show us?”

It’s humbling to admit. But sometimes, we can be so focused on what we want, that we miss what God is doing right in front of us.

Even when it’s obvious. Even when it’s repeated. Even when it’s trying to stop us.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” — Proverbs 3:5

Because when your heart is fully aligned, your vision becomes clear.

And when it’s divided?

You might find yourself pushing forward while God is standing in the way.

And in those moments, it might take something as unexpected as a donkey to get your attention.

Not just Sunday.

Every day.