GOD SPEAKS THROUGH OUR CIRCUMSTANCES

Jeremiah 6:10 (NIV) To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me?
 Their ears are closed so they cannot hear.
 The word of the Lord is offensive to them;
 they find no pleasure in it.

God will sometimes create or allow challenging circumstances in our lives as a way of getting our attention. When He does, it is often because we’ve been too stubborn and headstrong to incline our ears to His written Word or the Voice of His Spirit spoken into our hearts.

One humorous example of this is found in the life of the prophet Balaam, in Numbers 22. Balaam was s gifted and anointed prophet of God, yet he was enticed by his greed to prophecy against God’s people. The Lord sent an angel with a sword to block his path as he went. Balaam was so blinded by his own ambition he failed to see the angel, but the donkey he was riding did! The donkey swerved off the path and laid down to avoid the angel that God’s own prophet had not seen or heard! Frustrated and now in a rage, Balaam began to mercilessly beat the animal, until God literally opened the donkey’s mouth to talk to Balaam!

Numbers 22:25-32 Out of His love, God will occasionally allow frustrating circumstances into our lives if we are not listening to Him. In fact, He will even use the most unlikely and humble of instruments to get our attention!

Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”Matthew 6:13.

When circumstances arise and confront us, we need to humble our hearts, silence our own ideas and ask the Lord for clarity about the circumstances. Even better it is to hear God’s voice in prayer while you are alone with Him, than for Him to have a donkey speak or an angel detour you to get your attention!

Mark 4:9 (NIV) Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”