What if you could understand what your dog was saying? New technology uses “bark” recognition to help determine what feelings canines are expressing when they bark. The artificial-intelligence-enabled collars interpret the dogs’ barks for their owners using data from more than ten thousand barks to identify the emotion they’re expressing. Though the collars don’t enable a word translation, they do foster a greater understanding between owner and pet when something needs the owner’s attention.

God used an animal to get Balaam’s attention, too. Balaam saddled his donkey to travel to Moab in response to God’s instructions to “go . . . but do only what I tell you” (Numbers 22:20) The donkey stopped when he saw God’s angel “standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand” though Balaam couldn’t see it (v. 23). Balaam continued to try to press forward, so God enabled the donkey to speak in human words. When Balaam’s eyes were finally opened to the danger, “he bowed low and fell facedown” (v. 31), admitting his inward intention to either collect a reward or curse God’s people contrary to God’s instructions (vv. 37–38). “I have sinned,” he said. “I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me” (v. 34).

May we heed the instructions God gives us in the pages of the Bible, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and in the wise counsel of others—not just outwardly, but inwardly, too.