What We Can Learn from the Donkey

What We Can Learn
From the Donkey


1. Donkeys are humble creatures. They have a quiet temperament, and a gentle nature. A gentle nature is one of the fruits of the spirit. Gal. 5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. A quiet temperament is very good also. 1 Thess. 4:11. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands.

2. A donkey is sure footed. Christians should be sure footed. They need to know that when they walk forward, and plant one foot in front of the other, that it is in the direct will of God. We can be sure footed if we stay in the Bible. The Bible says, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.
I'm glad we can know something for sure. To an unsaved person the most important thing they need to know for sure, is where they are going to spend eternity. The Bible tells us that we can know for sure, praise God. I don’t have to guess, I don’t have to hope, but I can know for sure. There is a peace that passes all understanding when you can know for sure where you are going to spend eternity. The Bible tells us that there are two places where the soul will spend eternity, Heaven, and hell. The Bible talks about hell, and describes it in Matthew. The Bible says Matthew 18 that it is better for you to enter into life halt, maimed, or half blind than to have your body whole, and be thrown into hell fire. The Bible says you might as well pluck out your eyes, or cut off your hand or foot than go to hell. If the things that are keeping you from accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior are your eyes, hands, or feet, then get rid of them. Don’t let anything stand in your way, or come between you and Jesus Christ. The Bible also describes hell as a place of bitter torment. The Bible says that it’s a place where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. It’s also a place of weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. I’m so glad I don’t have to go to hell. I’m so glad Jesus made a way for me to have salvation through his shed blood on the cross of Calvary. I’m so glad I can know this for sure. Here are some verses that help me know this for sure. The Bible says in 1 John 5:11, And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:20. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Also, a donkey is sure footed because it is slow. When you tend to run ahead of God, you become unsure, and insecure. There are more chances of you falling, and more chances of making a mess when you run, than if you were to walk. Right?? Proverbs 14:29. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. In proverbs it also says, He that is hasty with his feet sinneth. Proverbs 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. A Donkey is not a haughty or prideful animal. In fact, a Donkey has a very humble look about him. A horse, on the other hand is a high spirited, beautiful creature. The Bible says that beauty is vain, it also says in Psalms 33:17, that a horse is a vain thing for safety, and neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. A horse is a very unpredictable animal. It can bolt, or buck at any given time, but a donkey, on the other hand, is a very gentle, slow, sure footed, and predictable animal.

3. Donkeys are known as burden carriers. We as Christians should help bare one another's burdens. Galatians 6:2 says, Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We shouldn’t be satisfied to carry our own burden. I found out that when I help carry someone else's burden, mine becomes a whole lot lighter.

4. Donkeys are strong, and they can go longer distances, and endure more weight than a horse can. That is why they are given the name, “Beast of Burdens.” We as Christians should be strong spiritually, and we should be able to carry more burdens than a lost person can. The Bible says, “Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” And “ Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Ephesians 6:10.

5. Donkeys are hard workers. We should be hard workers for our master, just as the donkey is for his master. 1Corinthians 15:58 says, “ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

6. A Donkey is cautious, and careful, and that is how it earned the reputation of being a stubborn animal. A donkey is not stubborn like most people think, and he is definitely not stupid. Donkeys are actually smarter than horses. A donkey will not let himself be led into danger blindly like a horse. We as Christians should not blindly be led into danger either. We need to be cautious, and careful like the donkeys. The Bible says, “Be strong; be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil walketh about seeking whom he may devour.” Vigilant means, watchful. That donkey is always watching for danger, he is a very cautious and slow animal, which contributes to people calling them stubborn. You know, Balaam’s ass saw some spiritual danger ahead and saved Balaam from being killed by an Angle of the Lord. I bet you that Balaam was very grateful his donkey was stubborn that day.

7. Donkeys need companionship. So do we. We need the right kind of companionship. It's good to have a friend that will encourage you to keep going on for Christ. And when you fall, help you back up, and encourage you in all the right ways. The Bible says, that a true friend, loveth at all times. The Bible also says that faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6. And did you know that Jesus Christ is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother? I’m sure glad he’s my friend. A horse can get along just fine without companionship, but not a Donkey. If he doesn’t have another donkey, or a human, he’ll be content with just about anything, a goat, a dog, a chicken, even a barn yard cat will do just fine.

8. Donkeys are especially gentle with children. You know what Christ said about children?? "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18:6 Christ said, that whosoever offends one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he was drowned in the depth of the sea.

9. Donkeys can live on very little. Their main diet is dry grass, and hay. They don't need a lot of rich grains, or a lot of expensive feed. The Bible says, “with food and raiment there with to be content.”

10. Donkeys are practically disease free. They don’t get sick near as easily as horses do. They are very tough animals, which means, hardly no vet bills. We should try to stay disease free ourselves. We shouldn’t meddle in the filth of this world. We shouldn't be ending up with any of their sin sick diseases. It's much easier for God to take care of us if we just stay out of the world’s filth. We won't cost him so much heart ache, and he won't have to spend so much time on us trying to clean us up, and heal our sin sick souls.

11. It doesn't take much to break a donkey. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it didn’t take much for God to beak us, huh?? Now, we won’t even go into what it takes to break a horse.

12. Donkeys are used to carry supplies where no man made machine can go. We need to be used to carry the gospel where no one has ever gone. Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”

13. The Lord Jesus used a donkey to ride on not long before he died. The donkey is known as a beast of burden, and let me tell you Christ was carrying some mighty heavy burdens that day? He knew he was about to go to the cross with all the sins of the world on him. He had to use a donkey to carry him. The donkey has strength, the donkey is sure footed, and that’s why the Lord wanted to use a donkey that day. A donkey is meek, and lowly. It wasn’t Jesus Christ’s time to look extravagant on the back of an animal of beauty, and great speed, and it’s not our time either. But it will be his time when he returns to this earth. He’ll be coming back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that’s why he comes back on a white horse.

14. Most donkeys have an outline of a cross on their backs. All the ones I’ve seen in Haiti had crosses. My donkey, Peanut, was light brown, with a dark brown outline of a cross on his back. My Donkey, Sam, is dark brown, but if you look closely, you can still see an outline of a cross on his back. You know, the Bible says that we are to daily take up our crosses, and follow him. There will come a time where we will be able to lay that old cross down, but for right now, we need to be more like the lowly Donkey. Humble, meek, gentle, good natured, slow, sure footed, cautious, careful, hardworking, contented, beast of burdens.