Main Verse: Joshua 9

Good morning!

Joshua and the Israelites were riding the crest of a wave into the Canaan Valley after defeating Ai and Jericho. The six hunter-and-gatherer groups in the Canaan Valley wanted to ally to take on Israel. The Gibeonites took a different approach by creating a ruse in which they dressed in rags and carried moldy bread and dried wineskins. When they entered the Israelite camp, the men gave a song and a dance about how they heard of the nation’s successes and they wanted to create an alliance. Joshua and the elders sampled the men’s food stores and decided to vow before the Lord to ally with Gibeon. Making a vow before the Lord is serious business because you don’t get to change your mind just because you don’t like the outcome (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6). After making the vow, the people discovered that the men came from just over the hill and the Gibeonites would be the next target. Because of the ruse, the people would become slaves and would be responsible for cutting and gathering wood for the fire. The problem with the agreement between the two groups was that the people be slaves only as long as Israel held the dominion (Deuteronomy 28:47-48).

In the State of Minnesota where I live, when you invite a guest to live temporarily in your home, they become residents when they pay rent or provide a service (Guests). When we do not seek the Lord’s counsel, we get ourselves into trouble just like the Israelites. The reason the Lord wants us to seek His counsel is not to control us but that we can make an informed decision. Making bad decisions by acting on faulty counsel creates unnecessary problems, such as it did for King Reheboam (I King 12:6-11). My encouragement for you today is that, in whatever decision or situation you are dealing with, you listen to the Lord’s counsel by prayer, seeking wisdom from the Word of God and the counsel of those who are known for their wisdom (Proverbs 1:1-6).

I.H.S. MK

Father,

Listening to your counsel can never be underestimated because it is through that You developed this world and put it into order. By wisdom David, even though it was prophesied that he would become the next King of Israel, lived in obedience to the Lord, though being treated as an enemy he remained faithful to Saul and would not raise a hand against Saul even with the opportunity presented to him (1 Samuel 24:8-11). How much more will we be kept from trouble by listening to you? Please help me to always stop and listen to you before committing to a course of action (Proverbs 3:5-7). I pray for my family, friends, and siblings in Christ Jesus who are dealing with huge mountains in their lives that you will be with them.

In Jesus’ Name