Seek God’s Counsel
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The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from [the LORD]’s mouth.
Joshua 9:14 (WEB)
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Some background is needed for this verse.
God told the Israelites not to make any sort of covenant with the people of the Promised Land.
These people, the ones sharing samples, are the Gibeonites.
Their plan was to trick the Israelites into a covenant so that they would not be destroyed by the inevitable war.
It was a good plan, shrewd.
It worked because the Israelites trusted their own senses rather than seeking out the Lord’s counsel.
Obviously, if they had asked God for wisdom in what to do with these people, then they would have known of this trickery.
The lesson here?
When it comes to big decisions, especially ones that affect a lot of people, seek God’s counsel.
I don’t think this is very natural for us.
Especially the analytical thinkers (like me) who want to logic our way through life and believe our minds can help us make the best decisions.
But even the very wise cannot see all ends.
God can.
He can cut through the deception of people, seeing into their hearts and giving supernatural aid when His children ask for it.
He can certainly help you make the right choices when you face the hard ones.
Don’t repeat the folly of the Israelites here; seek God’s counsel.
— Ricky Ketchum
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