Numbers 22:28 – Then the Lord gave the donkey the power of speech, and it said to Balaam, "What have I done to you? Why have you beaten me these three times?" (GNB)

One fine autumn day a few years ago, the wife of one of our church elders was going about her household activities when her attention was drawn to the persistent bawling of a cow in the neighbouring field. What on earth could be causing such unwonted behaviour? Curiosity drove her outside where she saw her husband lying on the ground beside the ladder on which he had been standing to clean out the eavestroughs on their two-storey home. The cow was immediately quiet and wandered off.

Within a short time, the paramedics from the neighbouring town were on hand with all the equipment and skill needed to convey the elder safely to hospital. There, the cumbersome halo that protects broken neck bones from damaging the spinal cord was carefully placed, and the severely injured and very painful big toe was cared for. Many prayers were sent heavenward on behalf of this faithful elder. Today, we rejoice that our elder is still actively serving our congregation, praising God that the only noticeable evidence of the traumatic experience is an increase in the neck size of his shirts.

Just recently at the concluding session of a confirmation class for a group of young people, one of the girls asked if God ever showed Himself to people today. One of the mentors of the group recited this incident as a way in which God can show Himself. To our surprise, another mentor recalled how her grandfather had been stranded in deep snow in an isolated northern part of the province and could not extricate himself. His voice could not reach the ears of anyone who might help. However, his horse began to neigh with the same persistence as the cow had bawled, and help finally arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, this man lost his leg as a result of that exposure to the elements, but his life was spared so that his granddaughter could tell his story.

We are so fortunate that we have a God who can work through even His dumb creatures to help His children. Balaam was chastised by his donkey in order that God's people might not be led astray. Truly, with God, all things are possible.

Prayer: Dear Lord, how grateful we are that You are constantly watching over us and can use even Your dumb creatures to speak for us. Amen.

Are we as eager to accept a truly free gift that has been fully paid for and freely offered? The Lord Jesus Christ paid dearly for the gift that He offers to all. With His life, He paid for the sins of all. When anyone accepts His loving sacrifice, there also come bonuses: the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide and counsel each believer, and the promise that Jesus will never leave nor forsake His own. Why would we be so excited to receive a material gift that is devoured, rusts, wears out, or becomes useless, when one can receive the most precious of all gifts: eternal life and the love, joy, and peace that come from knowing Jesus in all His fullness? Could it be that we are afraid we might have to give up some cherished activity, some unwholesome friendship, some addiction?

Sometimes it is required that to receive a free gift, one has to answer a simple mathematical question. The question asked of each person who desires the gift of life eternal is, Do you believe and desire that your sins be forgiven so that Jesus may be Lord of your life? "I surrender all" may frighten even the most daring adventurer, yet it is in complete surrender that the fruits of the grace of the Saviour are realized.

John 8:36 – So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (NIV)

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the glorious gift of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You that we can call upon His name and believe in His mercy, grace, and saving power, so that we have hope of eternal life through His sacrificial life, death, and resurrection power. Give us the wisdom to accept His free gift, the Holy Spirit, and reap the fruit against which there is no law. Amen.

1 Samuel 16:23 – And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. (KJV)

Some time ago, on arriving home after attending a church service, I tuned in to "The Hour of Power" on television. At that moment, Seraph Lee, a thirteen-year-old pianist, began to perform the most technically challenging composition that any graduate of a college of music would be proud to perform. As her beautiful hands flew over the keys, I was awed and astonished, not only at her technical ability, but also at the maturity of her emotional interpretation. What an amazing gift from God!

Our hands are amazing appendages created by God's grace and wisdom. With gifted hands, great sculptures, paintings, architectural works, musical instruments, and countless other artistic and practical things have been formed, bringing great joy to many, and have inspired others to use God's gift of hands to His glory.

Unfortunately, hands can also be used destructively for evil purposes. Even the arts can be debased. Only when one has the mind of Christ and continually seeks Him through prayer and searching His Word, can our hands be used for edifying and enriching man's spirit. We also need the courage to believe in our ability to use the gifts God has given to each of us. Let us develop such gifts, rather than risk losing them by not putting them to use. Fear of failure can make us impotent, but God continually counsels us, "Fear not!" Many great works have been accomplished because the artist or scientist refused to accept failure.

Ephesians 4:28 – Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (KJV)

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for hands, and the gift of using them to Your glory and the needs of mankind. Give us courage to keep trying even when we make mistakes. Amen.

When I was learning to drive, my instructor kept reminding me that the car would go where my eyes were focused.

Recently a kayak enthusiast for challenging white water rapids of the most daring and dangerous type was interviewed on television. When asked what his technique was for evading calamity, he replied that one must avoid looking in the direction where danger lurks. That sounded familiar! Keep your eyes focused on where you want to go! Know, too, where danger lurks.

That advice could perhaps be applied to our spiritual walk. Those whose spiritual eyes are focused on the path of righteousness, desiring to walk the straight and narrow way, are more likely to find the path smoother and more peaceful — in spite of trials, tribulation, and persecution — than those who take the broad road that leads to destruction.

Keeping one's spiritual eyes focused on the narrow way demands the same kind of discipline the kayak enthusiast must employ. The discipline for the narrow path follower depends on keeping one's focus on God's holy Scriptures day by day, maintaining a daily prayer time, and meeting regularly for Christian fellowship and instruction. Unfortunately, I have too often stepped off onto the muddy broad way, and have had to come with bowed head and contrite heart, seeking God's forgiveness. Praise God! He still is willing to scrub off the dirt, and welcome me back home.

Prayer: Dear Lord and Master, finding the narrow road and the narrow gate can be as challenging as the kayak manipulator finds keeping his eyes focused on safe passageways. Help us to seek Your face continually, and to know the comfort of the guidance of Your Holy Spirit as we seek to walk in the way of righteousness. Amen.

There have been times when I have dropped slices of bread into my toaster, and gone on with other preparations, expecting to hear the pop that informs me that the toast is ready, only to realize that, after having used the outlet for another appliance, I had neglected to replace the toaster plug in the outlet. There needs to be a connection with the electric power that we depend on when we need it. Last summer, we in Southern Ontario were left in darkness when that power failed.

There is, however, a greater, more dependable power that is available to all. He is called the Holy Spirit, and He is a gift we receive when we commit our lives totally into the hands of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is God Himself, being part of the Trinity, and He has been sent as Christ's promised agent here on earth, Christ having re-entered heaven. When we are plugged in to God's Holy Spirit, we have the privilege of His guidance and counsel.

John 14:16-17 – And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (NIV)

Prayer: Dear Father God, help us all to invite Your Son Jesus into our hearts, so that we may receive Your promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Help us to be so plugged in that we may remain sensitive to His leading and counsel, and that we may be your obedient and willing servants. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Hebrews 13:5 – Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (NIV)

My neighbour teaches Sunday School. We meet together Monday mornings for prayer and Bible study, and she told me the following story about a boy in her class.

"In Sunday School, after listening to the story of Jonah and the whale, a four-year-old said that he wouldn't be afraid to be caught in the belly of a whale. When I asked him why, he replied that God would save him, because God had promised never to leave him."

I was impressed with her story, and thought, how easy it is for little children to believe in God, and how much friends mean to them.

A friend is someone with whom we share interests, and to whom we turn for companionship. We trust a friend whom we believe accepts us just as we are. My dictionary uses the words to be fond of, love, and free, in describing at length the word friend. It has been said that, if you have one true friend, you are rich indeed! Yet even the closest of human friendships may become estranged or separated.

There is one Friend, however, that even the most sinful human may come to know, should he choose to follow His commands. Then, O what a Friend he or she has in Jesus! Jesus' friends are no longer servants, but members of His family, with whom He shares all the wisdom that He has learned from His Father. Best of all, having been freed from the bondage of the law, we rejoice in finding new life in Him.

Who would not want a Friend who truly "sticks closer than a brother"? (Proverbs 18:24 NIV)

He created all things, left His heavenly home to live, die, and rise again for our salvation. He freely forgives and forgets our confessed sins. Should we not be overwhelmed with amazement, love, and gratitude for such a Friend?

Prayer: Lord, how miraculous is Your grace and goodness that You love us so dearly, and choose to befriend us! Help us to draw close to you, to lean upon You, seeking to serve You as faithful, believing friends. Amen.

Many a time I worked my way back to the point where the problem seemed to start, where the correct number of stitches were present as required. Finally, it looked as if I had mastered the process, but it could happen again, as easily as not.

It made me think of the pattern that God has for every life, and of the mistakes we make, when we "miss the mark", or sin. Our implementation of the individual perfect pattern that God has for each of us must look pretty messed up from His perspective. With my knitting, I could work my way back to where the error was made, and make a correction. Although life doesn't seem to give us the opportunity to correct mistakes, there is a wonderful and ready remedy at hand: repentance. If we are willing to "face the music", so to speak, and ask forgiveness from our Creator, Lord, and Saviour, wondrously, in God's book of life, the page is wiped clean.

In knitting, errors are readily visible. With sin, often there may be only a sense of unease, emptiness, or a longing for peace and contentment that is elusive. Something isn't right! There could also be a sense of guilt. We need to bring it to the Lord for cleansing.

In life, as in knitting, sometimes we find ourselves repeating the same mistakes over and over again, and even adding others. That is where discipline comes into play. Keeping on God's straight and narrow pathway takes even more discipline than that required in knitting, for sometimes we fail to see how our mistakes are ruining the pattern that God has in mind for our life. Praise God! He loves us so much that He who is called "The Hound of Heaven" continues to remind us that we need to come to Him again for restoration. May we become true disciples!

Job 36:10 – He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. (KJV)

Ephesians 4:26 – 'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. (NIV)

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (NIV)

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for Your wonderful patience, and especially for the gift of Your Son, through Whose sacrificial life, death, and resurrection power we have access to Your forgiveness and the hope of everlasting life. Help us, we pray, to have the persistence to keep trying, and the discipline to follow where You lead. In Jesus' name. Amen.