For a year or more, I have received very random emails in my inbox from an academic publishing organization asking me if I am the Emily Jennings who authored an article entitled “Balaam’s Asse” Uncovered: New Light on the Politics of Prophetical Exegesis in Mid-Jacobean Britain. I did not write this article of course. The first time I got this email, I Googled Balaam’s Asse. What I learned was a message from the universe that I felt should be shared.
These emails have come to my inbox four times over the past year and at the most random of times. I am not the Emily Jennings they seek nor do I know for sure how I got on their email list. However, I know that there are no accidents in the universe. The message contained in the story of Balaam’s Asse is that I am protected even when I think I am being punished by the universe.
What Is Balaam’s Asse?
When I Googled this story, I found that it is from the Bible. Balaam’s Ass is an ancient tale. It’s about a man named Balaam who is told by a king to go to another town to do something questionable. He takes his trusted donkey (his ass) on the road to complete this mission.
I was raised an atheist, so reading any verse from the Bible always brings with it a certain level of discomfort. I don’t know much about the Bible except that the stories contained in some of it go back to the earliest times in human history. I am interested in it for spiritual truths that go beyond religion. And often, the universe has sent me Bible verses as a message. I don’t take them lightly.
The Story
Balaam is on the road with his donkey, and all of a sudden, the donkey stops walking. He gets kind of mad. He doesn’t understand why this donkey won’t budge. He starts whipping the poor donkey in frustration to try to force him to go.
God gives the donkey the ability to speak so that the donkey can explain himself. “Why do you whip me, when you know I have always been faithful to you? I can’t pass through on this road — an Angel stands before me and blocks the way.” Balaam is shocked.
Not only is his donkey speaking, which is freaky in itself, but he claims that the reason he won’t move is that there’s an Angel there which only the donkey can see. Balaam thinks about this for a minute and then gets mad and starts to use his whip again. He doesn’t believe there’s really an Angel present.
He can’t see the Angel, therefore, he operates as if there’s no force above him in the universe.
So, this time, God gives Balaam the ability to see the Angel. And he is floored. He can’t believe his eyes. The donkey was right.
“Why didn’t you trust your donkey?” says the Angel. “I am blocking your way for a reason. You are not meant to travel down this path.”
The Message
When I first read this, I knew that this story had been sent to me as a message from the universe that even if I can’t see them, there are spirits supporting and guiding me all the time. And when I come to a roadblock, it is in fact a protection, even if it seems frustrating in the moment. My spirit guides and the universe are always working in my favor.
Try never to force something that isn’t meant to happen. You must trust.
Trust that everything is happening the way it needs to happen. Trust the universe. Go down the path that opens up to you and turn back when it is unpassable. We should never keep trying to make something work that isn’t meant to work.
The universe works in mysterious ways. We can’t sense all of the forces that are working in our favor — but they are there. Unseen entities are helping you all the time. Not everything is perceptible to our five senses. Sometimes, an Angel walks right beside you but you can’t see or feel it. You must just trust that you are always guided and protected.
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About Emily
Emily is a writer, coach, intuitive reader, and content creator with a background in philosophy.
