WARNING! Deception is possible…
Have you ever been going along, doing well spiritually and ‘boom’ bad decision? Sometimes we can be deceived by appearances or circumstances. I was just reading in Joshua where the Israelites were in the process of taking over the Promised Land. They had been winning battle after battle and the inhabitants of the land were scared and nervous. Joshua and the people were doing great and God was working on their behalf. He instructed them not to make any peace treaties with any residents of Canaan. BUT…
A group of Gibeonites got crafty and decided to trick Joshua into declaring peace with them. Here’s where it got interesting. These men dressed in rags, old clothes and created the appearance of having traveled a great distance. Joshua 9:14-15 has a great warning for us in them. In verse 14 it says “the men of Israel sampled their provision but did not inquire of the Lord”. Ouch. They were deceived by appearances and circumstances into signing a treaty with people that they should have defeated in battle—they went against God’s commands. How does something like that happen?
It makes me wonder, how often do I get into a groove of making decisions and choices without ‘inquiring of the Lord’ about my life??
It is a dangerous place to be and reminds me of that phrase we use on our kids sometimes “you are getting too big for your britches”. I guess the same thing can happen to us spiritually. If you can relate, remember this: the remedy is simple. We must be women who go to God with everything. Who pray without ceasing and never assume that this decision or that one is too small to matter to God.
Rachel