“So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord.” — Joshua 9:14
There is a lot we can learn from this verse… Joshua was confronted by a group of people (basically, neighbors of the Israelites) who were wanting to negotiate a treaty with them. Their intent was to deceive Joshua because they had heard of the destruction that was going to come upon them. So, they went to him and said, “we are from a city far away.” They brought moldy bread, worn out clothing, and wine skins (to help in their deception). Joshua kept asking questions, but eventually granted them their request — and made an alliance with them. There was one thing, however, that Joshua didn’t have the Israelites do. They didn’t consult with the Lord. Because of that, they made a treaty and were deceived.
Has this ever happened to you? You did all of the research and everything seemed fine. But, in the end, something new or unexpected was revealed? How often does this happen to us? How often do we forget to consult the Lord in our decision making? That doesn’t mean things won’t still work out (they did for Joshua) but it changes things. In all of our decision making, it’s so good to consult the Lord first because He will guide us and lead us to the right answers. As humans, can only really look at what’s in front of us. God, however, transcends physical space and can illuminate the unseen.
Prayer is such an amazing thing. Through it, we can commune with our Creator! He wants to bless us. He wants us to call on Him in all of our difficulties and questions… no matter what they are. He will give the best advice. He will shut and open doors for us. He will guide us along the right path. But, just like with our friends and our families, if we don’t build into and work on our relationship with Him, we will never learn how to communicate and listen to Him.
My challenge for you this week is to commit all the situations and questions you have in front of you to the Lord. Do this before talking with anyone else, before looking at the physical realm. It’s great to get counsel from others (I am not suggesting that you do otherwise). But, start with the Lord first. Commit your plans to Him and He will guide your path. Give it to Him in fervent prayer.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor