Devotionals

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Sometimes we seek divine direction from God to ensure that we move not, except with the cloud. We wait patiently and watch persistently, but none seems coming from God. Neither dream nor vision to dispel the threatening clouds that loom over the light of the day. No knowing down inside the heart. No voice of words lightening harbingers from heaven. Every known way God speaks to us seems blocked. Yet, the zeal like inferno burns within our hearts; "God’s work must be done", despite all obstructions, even when they appear to be coming from God Himself.


We could not understand any reason why God should stand in our way, when we are busy doing His work.Then, we conclude it cannot be God. We keep going because we are ready not only to accomplish great task for God, but also to put our necks in the gallows, if the need arises, to see God’s name glorified through us. We have pitched our tents in the unshakable resolution that nothing is strong enough to scare us in the Way, not even the shadow of death!


Eyes drowned in the vision of millions of souls daily trooping down to hell. Hearts lost in the gory sight of the cross, flowing with the precious blood, shed that sinners may have their way back to God. Legs given up to walk through hills and valleys that the people in the remote jungles of the world may come to know the only name under heaven that saves. All these, as expedient and crown worthy as they are, most of the times do wake a mist of insensitivity in our hearts that, even God in whose service we are engrossed, could not get us attentive to reveal His mind to us. Then, we are found to be doing His work sincerely, but without Him. How fatal! For the plan of His work, which we are found doing is seen in no other place, except in His mind!


In such a time like this, when God could not get through to us through every known channel, out of His unconditional grace He will open the mouth of our donkey and make it speak a clear language of man. But who is deaf, but him who will not hear? Like Israel, who knows not the voice of her Lord [Isaiah 1: 3], we are most of the time unable to receive the message given through the donkey in a clear term. Our Balaam keeps striking the donkey with the strong rod of struggle in our hands, energized by those ideas and experiences piled up in our hearts. We do despise the fact that the donkey has never so treated us in the past. But a few of us, whose eyes God opens at a point like this do come out exclaiming ;"This indeed is the finger of God!" [Numbers 22].


It is expedient that we set our hearts aright, even in things that pertain to God and His kingdom’s work. We must not be too busy to forget to always ask ourselves "Which is the greater: the King or the kingdom?" Our answer to this question is extremely important to ensure that we have not run a futile race. And that the kingdom and it’s works do not become idols that we use God to worship and rob God of our whole-hearted devotion which He requires of us.


When your donkey would not go, will you strike it with your strength? When your car parked intact last night refuses to respond to your wake up call to service and your legs which walked hundreds of miles the previous day look weary of walking few meters away from home, will you without hesitation attribute it to the device of the Evil One and start binding and loosing Satan and his demons? Will you rather run back to God for the interpretation of the message given through the donkey? Or do I hear you say God cannot speak through a mere donkey? Be not ignorant, for when men keep silent, and He could not get through to us, He makes stones open their mouths and speak His mystery to correct the foolishness of man [Luke 19:40; 2Peter 2:15-16].


Can God forbid us from doing a work for Him? Apostle Paul’s answer, if he were asked, would surely be;"YES, for His purpose and timing". Let us always be attuned to the Holy Spirit to know when He has forbidden us to speak the Word in our "Asia". Let us always ask Him if we are allowed to go into "Bithynia" and patiently await His unequivocal permission. Let us always learn to rest in "Troas", where He will meet us with fresh revelation of "where we should go from here". There in the place of rest, He will show us our own "Maccedonia", for where He has prepared us to preach the Word to the people in dire need of it [Acts 16: 6-10]. Not all rain, Brethren, that disperses a gathering is schemed by the Evil One. Satan is of no power to cause one, except God allows it. All things that happen in the creation work the will of God and serve His unique purpose [Psalm 19:1-6].

Brethren, the next time your donkey speaks, learn to resort into His gentle embrace for the message of the day. Shalom!

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