The Book of Numbers gives us the unforgettable story of Balaam and his talking donkey. Balaam was a prophet who knew God’s will, yet he also wanted the reward offered by Balak, a pagan king who hoped to curse Israel. Balaam was a self-willed man, and that trait feels uncomfortably familiar. God had already told him not to go, but when a second group arrived with a better offer, Balaam insisted. The Lord allowed him to go, but not without warning. On the journey, his donkey stopped three times, seeing what Balaam could not. Each time, Balaam responded by striking the very animal that was protecting him. Then, in a moment that still surprises readers, the donkey spoke: “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Soon after, an angel appeared and asked the same question. The donkey and the angel were sent to save Balaam’s life, yet he nearly missed it because he was determined to get what he wanted.
That story has a way of slipping into everyday life. We may not meet talking donkeys on the road, but we often meet interruptions, delays, and frustrations that feel just as inconvenient. Plans stall, doors close, and progress halts, and our first instinct is usually irritation. Like Balaam, we can become so fixed on a goal that we do not stop to ask whether the obstacle in front of us might actually be a form of protection. It is easier to push forward than to pause and consider that there may be more than meets the eye. We can even find ourselves resenting the very things that are quietly preserving us. It is a humbling realization to admit that sometimes we are upset because we are not getting our way, even when our way might not be good for us. The story suggests that not every delay is a denial. Some are mercies in disguise, though they rarely feel that way in the moment.
The New Testament brings clarity to this pattern by pointing us to Jesus. Scripture reminds us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12), and then shows us the better way in Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Where Balaam pressed forward in self-will, Jesus submitted fully to the Father’s will. Because of Him, we are not left to navigate blindly. As the apostle Paul wrote, “God works all things together for good” (Romans 8:28). Even the interruptions, the closed paths, and the unexpected turns can serve His purpose. In Christ, what appears to hinder us may, in fact, be saving us.