Every Morning — September 2, 2026: The Donkey Saw the Angel First
Key Scripture
– Numbers 22:28-31 (NIV)
“Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and it 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 only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now. ‘The donkey said to Balaam, ‘Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?’ ‘No,’ he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. So he bowed low
and fell facedown.”
Devotional
Sometimes God's greatest protection comes in the form of an interruption. But hold on…
Can we all agree that this is one of the most unusual conversations in the entire Bible? A donkey started talking… and Balaam replied as though this was a perfectly normal Tuesday morning!
If this happened in Nigeria today, the video would scatter across every social media platform before lunchtime. People would be arguing in the comments, comedians would make skits about it, and somebody would definitely say, “Na AI.”
Yet behind the humour is a serious lesson. Balaam thought his donkey was delaying him. He had no idea the donkey was actually saving his life. Three times the donkey stopped because it saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. Balaam couldn't see what was ahead, so he became angry and started beating the very animal God was using to protect him.
How often do we do the same? We pray for a job, but the interview doesn't work out. We plan a journey, then something delays us. We expect a relationship to lead to marriage, but it suddenly ends. Our first reaction is often, "God, why?”
But Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us that God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours. What looks like rejection from our side may actually be protection from His side.
My brother, my sister, sometimes nah so life be. Not every delay is punishment. Not every closed door means God has forgotten you. Some closed doors are acts of mercy. Years later, many of us can point to moments that disappointed us at first but eventually made us whisper, "Thank You, Lord, for saying no.”
That is why Proverbs 3:5–6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding. We simply don't have God's vantage point. The beautiful part of this story is that God eventually opened Balaam's eyes. The problem was never that God wasn't working; the problem was that Balaam couldn't yet see what God was doing.
Perhaps that's where you are today. You have prayed. You have cried. You have waited. And you're wondering why nothing seems to be moving. Before you conclude that God is silent, remember this story. Sometimes He is protecting you from dangers you cannot yet see. Sometimes the delay is mercy. Sometimes the interruption is grace. And when the full picture finally comes into view, you'll realise that God's “No,” “Wait,” or “Not yet” was just as loving as His "Yes.”
As Romans 8:28 assures us, God is able to work in all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
So don't be too quick to curse today's delay. It may become tomorrow's testimony.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, when Your plans are different from mine, help me to trust Your heart. Open my eyes to recognise Your guidance, give me patience while I wait, and teach me to believe that Your delays are never without purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Dig Deeper
Numbers 22-24, Proverbs 3:5–6, Isaiah 55:8–9, Romans 8:28
Psalm 32:8
Reading Plan
Today's Reading – John 9, Psalm 27, Proverbs 3
Today's Thought
A delay under God's direction is always safer than arriving early without His presence.
From Every Morning — September 2026 by Margaret Nwakaego Usio.