Life's Stumbling Blocks

The dictionary’s meaning of stumbling block is an obstacle or impediment. In the Bible the term is used to describe things that people put before themselves and God or what God puts in a disobedient person’s way. In the present day, stumbling blocks are still the same.

They are snares, hindrances, handicaps, or anything that impedes us in any way. It is something that gets in a persons way. In Romans 9, Paul talked about Jesus being a stumbling block in the Jews’ way. The humble Jesus who came was not the Jesus they were looking for.

Although stumbling blocks may deter us from doing what we want to do, that does not necessarily mean that they are bad. They are usually there for a purpose and may be God-sent. The story of a man called Balaam in the Bible, gives us an example an example of a stumbling block that was sent by God to protect a man.

As the story goes, Balaam was a prophet who wanted to please Balek, because of the material things that Balek offered him. Balek, the King of Moab, sent some of his distinguished men to get Balaam to come and curse the Israelites whom he considered to be a threat because they were so numerous.

God told Balaam not to go, but Balaam wavered in his spirit, saddled up his donkey and set out. Sounds familiar? This made God furious, so God sent an angel to block the way. When the donkey saw the angel standing in the road with a sword in hand, the donkey rushed off the road into the field, but Balaam beat the donkey and got him back on to the road. The angel kept appearing in the way, making it impassable for the donkey.

Balaam’s anger increased and he continued to beat the donkey. As he did that, something very strange happened: And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? (Numbers 22:28).

When the donkey spoke to Balaam and Balaam began to argue with the donkey, God opened Balaam’s eyes, causing him to see that his donkey that had been his stumbling block was in fact preventing him from getting killed.

It was at this point that Balaam confessed to God, and in the end God’s purpose was fulfilled through Balaam’s prophecies that God commanded him to deliver. This saved the nation of Israel. The moral of the story: Listen to God and be obedient to him, He always cares for you.