The “narrow” place
I was reading a FB posting from a friend this morning and she was very verbal about how someone encouraged her. She had been going through a difficult time and felt the pressure of life. We all know what that feels like. We all have been there. Sort of “done that been there” T-shirt moments we know so well.
We have been under pressure and we have been through some stuff the last few years. People feel that it is not safe to share about these things. I am not sharing because I want to focus on my difficulties but because we have seen God come through in a tremendous way in some of these circumstances. Currently we have friends that are in a narrow place with their business. We have friends that are in a narrow place with their children. We have friends that are in a narrow place with their finances and their health. We all feel the press of the moment.
Num 22:22-31 And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. 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? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
This is the story of Balaam the prophet that wanted to curse Israel for money. Twice the donkey turned out of the way because of the Angel of the Lord standing in the way. Both times he smote the donkey because the donkey left the way Balaam wanted to go. What a picture. This donkey had more insight into what was happening than a prophet blinded by greed. Greed has put more people in a narrow place than any other reason. Greed drives political parties, wars and religion. Greed is the sickness of our age that has blinded the people from the ways of God. That is why the kingdom is challenging us to give rather than to receive.
Balaam should have been aware something was going on when the donkey spoke to him. Instead he argues with the donkey. He was so set in his ways that when something supernatural happens he completely missed it. What would you do when you get home and your cat starts speaking to you? Would you think something is going on? The second time the donkey left the path he went trough a vineyard. There he crushed Balaam’s foot against a wall. Your foot speaks of the way you walk. God was trying to get his attention about his ways. Still he didn’t get it.
Then the Lord went and stood in the narrow place. This time the donkey had no way to turn. No left way or no right way to go, only forward. God brought Balaam to a place of decision. Again Balaam struck the donkey. The very thing that brought him to an encounter with God, so that God can speak to him, now became the outlet for his frustration. How many times have we beaten or criticized the very thing that brought us to an encounter with God. The circumstances and the difficulties we encountered were all vehicles that God uses to encounter us. I am not saying that sickness is of God. I am not saying loosing your business is of God. What I am saying is that God can use all those things to encounter you with healing and blessings. What the enemy meant for bad God can use for good.
The narrow places limit our options. Balaam had no way to turn. Do you feel like you have run out of options? You have tried everything else. The woman with an issue tried everything else until she encountered Jesus. When Jesus asked them “who touched me?” they said that the crowd was pressing in on him. She was in a narrow place when she encountered healing for her body.
When a mother gives birth the baby goes through the birth canal or narrow place. The reason is so that the fluids can be pressed or pushed from its lunges. That guarantees that the baby will be able to breath when it is born. The narrow place has a purpose. The meaning for the word narrow in Hebrew means to be in distress or to cramp. We see this when a mother gives birth. Cramps or contractions mean something is about to be born. On the other side of pain is joy. Weeping may last for the night but joy comes in the morning.
Jesus said: Broad is the way that leads to destruction but narrow is the way that leads to life. Few people stay on this path because it is uncomfortable. We try to choose the easy way out. The problem is that is doesn’t produce what is needed to birth the kingdom. In the kingdom you will experience attacks, persecution and the narrow places that God has ordained. Are you willing to pay the price for it? Can you put your hand to the plow and not look back?
