Joshua 9

Joshua 9 (Sorry about the late post)

“And they received the men because of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord” (Jos 9:14).

Living is simple. Life may not be simple, but living is simple. It can be summed up in two words: follow Jesus. The world, however, is crafty. Read Joshua 9:4, “They worked craftily…” Check out James 3:16, “For where envy and self seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing is there.” As the switch foot song puts it, “Living is simple…I’ve had my choices, I’ve chosen today. I’ve had my choices, the choices remain.”

Living is simple, yet, we live in a world of constant choices and these constant choices each take their effect. What can be even harder is the choices that have been laid before you today and now you have to make some decisions. I do not know about you but the things that come into my life can be scary, thought provoking, and altogether thought engulfing. I can spend a whole day worrying about a choice I have to make and thinking about every little circumstance that can arise from that choice. Is this right? NO! I need to think about one thing today, and that is, “Follow Jesus.”

The men in Israel fail to do this in this chapter. They are presented a lie. Instead of going directly to the Lord, they take out their magnifying glasses and carefully inspect everything. The nation of Gibeon dotted all their I’s and crossed all their T’s. Therefore, “they did not ask counsel of the Lord.”

Whatever decision you may be facing today, go to Jesus. The world is tricky, crafty, and confusing. Satan packages things in lies, therefore go to Jesus. Do not worry about tomorrow, be anxious for nothing, but rely on Jesus who works everything together for good for those who are called according to His purpose. Let Him make the choices. Look at what ended up happening to Israel. They were fooled. They now had to live with this crafty, worldly nation in the midst of their Promised land.