Numbers 22:34
"And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again."
The old cliché, "If it were a snake it would bite you" could have been said about Balaam. It is amazing how something so obvious can be so hard to see. The animal which Balaam rode could see the angel of God, but he was blinded to his presence. What could have been a deadly encounter because of his blindness was averted because the donkey on which Balaam rode knew to get out of the way. What was it that caused Balaam not to see the angel of the LORD?
First, his mind was already made up. It didn't matter what the LORD put in front of Balaam, he already made up his mind. It was obvious from the first time Balak's servants came that Balaam was not supposed to go with them, but because he already made up his mind he could not see what the LORD was trying to tell him. Many Christians miss God's message to them in the Scriptures or the sermons they hear because they have their minds made up. If you want to hear God speak or see Him work through your life, then you are going to have to lay aside your desires and have an open mind for the LORD to speak to you. I have personally found that God's leading is very obvious, but I cannot see it when my mind is closed to His leading. Don't be closed-minded to the LORD; instead, be open-minded to Him.
Second, he spiritualized his decision to make it feel right. It didn't matter what God said, he had a "spiritual" answer to justify why it was right. We can want something so bad that it doesn't matter how plain God's Word is, we will find something in the Word of God and twist it to justify our desires. Spiritualizing something is saying the end justifies the means. You can spiritualize anything you want to do, but that doesn't make it right. The only reason you spiritualize what you know is wrong is for the sake of appeasing your own conscience. The problem is that when you grieve the Holy Spirit, you will always know you are doing wrong. How you do something is just as important to God as the results you are trying to obtain. Spiritualizing the result doesn't make the wrong means of getting there right.
Third, his desire for money and acceptance blinded him to God's presence. The driving factor in Balaam's life, to be accepted by the powerful and to have money, caused him not to see the obvious presence of God's angel. When you are desirous of being accepted by the powerful crowd, you will find it hard to see the LORD speaking in your heart. Friend, rarely will you find yourself doing right when you are with the powerful crowd. The reason is because your eyes are on man and not God. The powerful crowd may or may not be right, but the desire to be with them will cause you to take your eyes off God.
Are you missing the LORD's presence in your life because of these things? Keep your eyes on God and an open your mind to the Holy Spirit, and you will find that His presence will be clearly seen in your life. It is not hard to see or hear God when your eyes and ears are open to His voice. Turn off the voices of the world, keep your eyes on God and you will hear His voice and see His presence.