Session 22

Where is your attention?

From Numbers: A 5-Week Devotional

Clocks. Watches. Task lists. Reminders on your phone. We are surrounded by reminders of time. But in all of our efforts to make the most of the time we have, how often do we pause to hear from God about how to go about our day? Or, does it take a dramatic intervention to get our attention?

In Numbers 22, the angel of the Lord appeared before the donkey three times, and it was beaten three times. Sometimes, as with Balaam, it takes extreme measures, or the suffering of others for our eyes to be opened to God’s leading in our lives. It took an angel opening Balaam’s eyes for him to realize he had sinned, beaten a trusted companion, and not been submissive to a new direction from the Lord. God was literally standing in his way to re-direct his path, and Balaam was so blind to God’s leading that he did not want to take “no” for an answer, even from God.

It is dangerous to be against what God is for. Sin has its consequences, even if they are not immediate. Like Balaam, we sin when we are so focused on where we’re going and what we’re doing that we don’t see how God is guiding us.

When we slow down long enough to hear from God, we can respond to His leading and experience His presence in our lives. One of the best ways to slow down and hear from God is by reading the Bible daily. Psalm 119:105 calls the Bible a light for our paths — it will always direct us to God’s best.

God is always speaking to us — through the Bible, creation, other Christians, the prompting of the Holy Spirit and divine intervention. God will do whatever is necessary to get our attention and guide us to our next step. And sometimes, what’s necessary includes allowing us to feel the sting of conviction the way Balaam did (Numbers 22:34).  

God allows us to feel conviction out of His love for us. Without the sting of conviction, we can’t experience the joy of being in God’s will. God knows what is best for us and deeply cares about our lives — even our to-do lists.

Reflect:

• Does God have your attention? Why or why not?
• What is one thing you can do this week to make room to hear from God?