When a Donkey Sees More than You
From FBCWest by First Baptist Church of Westminster, California
March 29, 2026 · 27 min
About this episode
The episode discusses Balaam's spiritual blindness and the lessons learned from his encounter with a donkey that sees the danger he cannot.
A man hired to discern and influence the future cannot even see what is directly in front of him. Instead, his donkey sees what he cannot, and in doing so, saves his life. As Balaam travels with the leaders of Moab, motivated by the promise of money and honor, God stands against him. An angel blocks the path, but Balaam is spiritually blind. Three times the donkey turns aside, protecting him, and three times Balaam responds with anger and violence. Finally, God opens Balaam’s eyes—and he sees just how close he was to destruction. This passage reveals powerful truths: Spiritual blindness can exist even in those who claim to speak for God God may use unexpected means to redirect us The love of money can cloud judgment and lead to compromise Saying “no” to sin once is not enough—we must remain faithful continually Balaam’s story is filled with irony, humor, and ultimately tragedy. It warns us that partial obedience is still disobedience, and that a heart drawn toward money, influence, or self-interest will always struggle to fully follow God. This message challenges us to examine our own lives: Are we truly seeking to honor God—or just trying to make our own path work? Do we…
People in this episode
Host: Pastor Joe
Topics covered
- spiritual blindness
- obedience to God
- money and influence
- divine intervention
- self-examination
Keywords
- Balaam
- donkey
- spiritual blindness
- God's intervention
- money
- obedience
- self-interest
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: When a Donkey Sees More than You, Numbers 22:21, Numbers 22:22
Places: Moab
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