God’s Unlikely Messengers

by: Adam Stout

The tale of Balaam and his donkey has all the elements of a good story: a villain (Balaam), an innocent victim (a donkey), and a good guy (an angel). Balaam we dislike for beating his donkey. The angel with a sword makes an impression. But it is the talking donkey that we remember.

A talking donkey! God has a habit of surprising us with those he speaks through. Think of the lowly shepherd boy who became the sweet psalmist of Israel (David), or a poor, unmarried country girl (Mary) who became the bearer of God incarnate. But perhaps the most unlikely messenger was Jesus. Think of it: a village carpenter who was God in the flesh!

No one expected the king of the universe to come as a poor, helpless baby and to die upon a cross. But that’s exactly what God did to conquer death and rescue his people. Jesus was an unlikely messenger, but God spoke through him in a way that no one had before or has since.

And what about us? You and I may not think we can bring a message from God, but if he could use a donkey to speak for him, couldn’t he use any of us as his unlikely messengers? God can help us testify to his reality in both our lives and the world around us. We can warn others of self-destructive ways. And we can point them to the most unlikely messenger himself, Jesus Christ.