The story of balaam’s talking donkey has always been one of the most fascinating stories of the Bible for me. While Balaam intended to go and curse the people of Israel, his donkey’s eyes were opened to see the Angel of the Lord standing in their way. Her mouth was opened and human speech proceeded out. It tells me that God can use anyone at any moment, or in this case, any animal. Even the ravens do His bidding (1 King 17:6) and as they should; after all, we all His creation.

In Celestial Church of Christ, the Spirit of God moves among the members of this church and manifests His power in our prophecies, dreams, visions, and much more. People long for these gifts so God can use them and also do his bidding. But I wonder, do we tend to prioritize the gifts of the Holy Spirit above the fruits of the Spirit? You see, the gifts of the Spirit are a sign that He now lives among us as spoken by the prophet Joel (Joel 2: 28-29) and as promised by Christ before His Ascension (John 16: 4-14).

The fruits of the spirit, however, are signs to show that He abides IN us

and we are thereby transformed because of His existence in us (Galatians 5: 22-25). Like Balaam’s donkey, God’s spirit can use us as a vessel for His glory but by the same token, we can remain untransformed. I’m sure Balaam’s donkey went back to regular donkey business after this supernatural incident. Our transformation has to be evident and unlike this donkey, permanent.