Always Ask Counsel of the Lord
Scripture Passage: Joshua 9:11-15 (NASB)
11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now then, make a covenant with us.”’ 12 This bread of ours was hot when we took it for our provisions from our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled. 13 And these wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are split open; and these clothes of ours and our sandals are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. 15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
SUMMARY
The people of Gibeon deceive the Israelites into thinking they are from a far-off land, and not from the land that God has instructed the Israelites to conquer. The Gibeonites achieve this deception by making themselves and their possessions look shabby and worn, as if they had traveled a long distance. Instead of seeking God’s instructions first, the Israelites enter into a peace treaty with the people of Gibeon.
REFLECTION
In today’s verses, we see Israelites carelessly making a peace treaty with people of Gibeon and guarantee the Gibeonites’ safety, based solely on the Gibeonites’ outer appearance without conducting a more careful examination. God had just given the Israelites the victory over Ai by instructing and guiding them, attentively taking care of the Israelites every step of the way. But even after such a triumphant victory and after experiencing the forgiveness and the mighty power of God, Joshua and the Israelites did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. Instead, they made a decision based solely on their own thoughts and judgment, which eventually causes the Israelites to disobey the Lord.
Frankly, this sounds familiar to me. Every time when I need to make a decision, whether big or small, difficult or easy, I often go ahead of the Lord, trusting my own instincts or seeking help from people around me. That is also true dealing with my emotions. When something makes me despair or feel down, I often allow myself to sink into all those negative emotions instead of going to God’s Word or praying for His counsel. God has delivered me and given me victories in so many battles over and over again, yet I so easily forget and rely instead on what my flesh tells me is right.
APPLICATION
When I am tested by the things life throws at me daily, whether relationships, parenting, work or anything else, I become easily distracted from God’s instructions. I try to find solutions on my own because I want to remove the pain or discomfort as quickly as possible. My hasty decision so often results in sin, hurting people or even myself. I specifically need to ask for the Lord’s wisdom in parenting our 9 year old son. Choosing schools, signing up for extra curricular classes, music lessons, sports and especially spiritual parenting – for all these things I need Lord’s guidance. There are so many books, podcasts, blogs, and other sources of information that the world offers. I don’t know what or who to listen to, and end up feeling more lost or confused.
As I participate over the next 21 days in praying and fasting with my fellow brothers and sisters from HW, I want to take time to seek God’s will, wisdom, insight and knowledge in every area of my life but especially in parenting. I want to ask the Spirit of the Lord, my wonderful counselor, to come and instruct and guide me.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for always teaching me, refreshing and renewing me through your Word. Forgive me for my sin of self-reliance, for the sin of trying to be the master and king of my life. Forgive me for not trusting your faithfulness, not waiting on you, going my way and ultimately disobeying you. Lord, fill me with your Spirit that I may always seek your understanding, your knowledge and your wisdom first before I make any decision. Your ways are always perfect and you are always there for me when I seek you. Thank you for being our wonderful teacher, mentor and counselor.
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