Day 12 of 90: Misconceptions

I have a confession. There are some parts of the Bible I know very little about. And there are some parts that I thought I knew but it turns out I didn't.

The story of Balaam and his donkey is one I didn't know completely.
So, we all know that Balaam had a donkey and the donkey talked. Honestly, I get a little tickled at that part. I mean, really, a talking donkey. And Balaam didn't even act surprised that the donkey he'd had for years was all of a sudden talking.
But the part that I never paid attention to was who Balaam was. I had always assumed he was one of God's people. I mean, after all, he and God talked, and he blessed the Israelites.
As a child, that's mainly what I got from that passage of scripture. (which is Numbers 22)

Guess I was missing a lot. It wasn't until I read this section in January that I realized Balaam is not a good guy. He is not one of God's children. In fact, he would bless or curse anyone for enough money.
But, of course, he couldn't go against the one true God, so he could only bless Israel.

But I never realized all that. I'm sure growing up I heard about Balaam. I knew that there was a passage in the Bible that had a talking donkey. But I never knew all the details.
I wonder what else in the Bible I only know a part of? Having just read through the Bible in January-March this year, I should know more. But I still find myself questioning things. I still have misconceptions about certain parts of it. There are places where I read into it instead of just reading it. I need to pay more attention and pray, ask God to help me see what He wants me to see, to hear what He was saying instead of what I want to hear.
I'm trying. I want to read the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit. I want to be able to discern what God is telling me. I want to understand. And the best way to do that is to pray and ask for His help.

But it means I have to keep reading. And never forget Balaam and his donkey. That's what I think of now that reminds me I don't know it all.