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When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. 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?" 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." (Numbers 22:27-29)

In the TV western, Paladin was a hired gun based in a San Francisco hotel. With his trusty Colt 45, he would offer protection, or any thing else a person needed. His calling card had a white chess knight in the middle. Instead of a calling card, Balaam probably had his special beads and amulets to offer potential clients, a spiritual gun for hire.

In Numbers 22-24, we read the story of Balaam. He lived on the western bank of the Euphrates River, deep in the land of magic. You can image a bearded man wearing a turban putting a blanket over his donkey (Balaam Balaam where do you roam), the sure-footed beast of burden that would carry him miles away to the plains of Moab (Balaam Balaam far far from home). Probably Balaam practiced white and dark magic. No doubt because of his blessings people had prospered, and his curses brought destruction, or he wouldn't have the reputation he had. He was content with his special powers until he dealt with the Lord of Hosts.

The King of Moab went outside of his own royal court to hire the seer to curse the Israelites. Instead of refusing the request outright, Balaam opts to play a game of Russian roulette. In the end, the Israelites killed the false prophet during the battle. We remember the donkey more than Balaam. The Angel of the Lord was standing in front of Balaam, but the false prophet couldn’t see him because conceit clouded his vision. God could have allowed the angel to kill him, but in his mercy, he used the donkey to warn Balaam. The donkey's reward was to be beaten. The infamous seer tried to mix his belief about God with the world. Peter let's us know in the New Testament, it didn't work. The more we listen to God, the less likely we will be embarrassed.

The taste of spiritual power can be intoxicating. Balaam’s thirst for power led him to make himself his own little god. However, God doesn't need any loose canons; he only wants followers. Balaam had the right words, but his motives were impure. False teachers play with words, like a child with Play-Dough, using them at their convenient, any way that helps them spread their beliefs. Today with numerous voices, it's easy to be distracted. We create a Christianity that fits our lifestyle. Serving God isn't a spiritual game. It's not about how many spiritual scalps we collect, but how close we can come to be Christ-like

The airwaves and bookshelves are rampart with voices of deception. Like Balaam, the deceivers will ultimately pay for the damaged they have caused. Today they may be popular, but their end is destruction. We can build a firewall of protection against the viruses spread by deceptive voices by reading God Word's, and being in tune with the Holy Spirit will help us avoid spiritual pitfalls. God's grace doesn't leave us at the cross to defend for ourselves, but is able to present us before our Father's throne.

Copyright Danny Woodall