Few things bring more delight to a Sunday School class of pre-teen boys than a conversation about Balaam’s ass.

You really should read the story in the King James Version. The ass plays a prominent role. Balaam saddled his ass, then rode his ass, and later smote his ass.

After a beating, the ass talked back. Am I not thine ass, upon which thou has ridden ever since I was to this day? A talking ass—who knew the Bible could be so fun? I knew it’s juvenile, but it’s hard not to grin even now.

Of course, the story gets better because an angel of the Lord stands in the road, which apparently asses can see but prophets cannot, ready to lop off their heads. Balaam’s eyes are opened and the unlikely message-bearer vindicated—his ass saved his ass.

Which brings me to my point.

As smart and wise as I consider myself, I miss things. Often big things. I ride along in my own world lacking the awareness necessary to grow and thrive and sometimes even survive. I need people speaking into my life even when—or especially when—it’s inconvenient.

Asses see angels, prophets do not. Thus endth the lesson.

Numbers 22 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Laura Gariglio

I long enjoyed the encouragement of Frank, a former dentist. I first met Frank as a kid in his chair, but several years later I uncovered a fascinating and wonderful side of Frank.

My dentist held a secret power.

My wife and I worked in campus ministry, and Frank and his wife were some of our donors. They gave every month, faithfully fulfilling their pledge and keeping us on the field. One afternoon Frank gave me a call. I recently spoke at his church and since he was on vacation we missed each other, so he wanted to catch up.

In the midst of our conversation, Frank mentioned that he prayed for me and my wife and our kids by name every day. I asked, Frank, when you say “every day,”—do you mean literally “every day?”

Frank, in his quiet Ozarks drawl, replied, Well, I suppose not every day exactly. Early in the morning I sit down in front of my computer and pray for all the missionaries around the world we support. I’m pretty faithful, but I miss here and there.

I shamelessly probed—how many days did you miss last year?

Frank answered without thinking. All of last year I missed 4 days, then humbly added, but this year I’m going to do better.

I had to sit down.

The Lord brought Frank to mind this morning when I read about a man praying for the believers in Colossae. Ephaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Jesus Christ, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

Frank labored for my wife and me and our kids and all the other blessed people on his long list. 361 out of 365 he turned on that old desktop machine in his kitchen, sat with his coffee, and went to work.

I have rarely experienced a more humbling, and powerful, phone call.

Not surprisingly, when I heard the news of Frank’s passing several years ago I felt a fading in my spirit. One powerful pillar removed to glory.

I’m slow to pray, usually impatient and looking out the window like a kid caught in school. But I’m getting better. Perhaps part of the wisdom of age involves the slow realization that prayer holds far more power than I imagined. And laboring in prayer yields results far beyond what I see.

Just a thought as I read a few lines of scripture and remember my dentist with the secret power.

Colossians 4 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Jon Tyson

The leaders of the opposition to Moses hated his authority and twisted his words as they spat back at the leader of Israel:

Isn’t it enough that you brought us up out of a land of milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it over us! Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards.

Wait—Egypt, the land of their slavery—now referred to as a land of milk and honey? Certainly a twist. Also, these men quickly forgot their sin which barred them from the real land of milk and honey. In their rebellion they blamed Moses for all their problems.

Although the works of the Lord shone all around them (a pillar of fire and cloud led the nation), these men fixated on milk and honey. They dreamed of filling their bellies and delighting their eyes. If Moses failed to deliver, then Moses needed to go. Just below the surface, they felt the same about the God of Israel.

How much do I miss when I focus on the things I hope for from the Lord, rather than on the Lord himself? What if I lift my head and ask the Lord to show me the backstory? What might I see for the first time?

The Lord is not a vending machine, as much as I treat him as such. Pray my prayer, get what I want. When the machine fails to deliver, I rock it, slap it, give it a kick.

Which is what these men did to Moses, right in front of God and everybody. Oops!—this vending machine hit back. Swallowed alive into the realm of the dead, no one present soon forgot the difference between milk and honey and the giver of milk and honey.

Numbers 16 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Sandi Benedicta

When I read David say the Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and he helps me, I realize that David knew a lot more about shields than I do.

David carried a shield and directed the use of shields in battle. I’m sure part of the Israeli defense budget paid for the construction and maintenance of shields. A shield stopped projectiles, protected its carrier from blows, and when combined with other warriors, formed a wall between them and their enemy.

Even today riot police carry shields, and body armor forms a type of shield. I once interacted with several security guards in an airport in Delhi, India, standing behind heavy metal shields as they checked IDs. Shields emerge in dangerous places.

David mentioned danger at hand—Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.

A person of malice spins cordial words to get us to drop our shields. Unprotected, they go about their work, leaving us lying wounded in the process.

David reminds us of the Lord, our spiritual shield, who stops darts from the enemy and forms walls like a fortress. David’s heart leapt for joy at the thought of such a strength and shield.

May our hearts do the same.

Psalm 28 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Erik Mclean