Scarlet's Decision

Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD. ~Joshua 9:14

The Israelites were deceived in making a treaty with the Gibeonites because they did not seek the Lord’s counsel. How often have we done the same thing? Not everything that comes your way is a blessing. Sometimes, it is a trap set out by the enemy. We must always come before the Lord and seek His counsel and allow Him to make decisions for us. When a opportunity that looks great arises, we should always ask the Lord first and foremost and let Him decide if we take it or not. We should be wary of relying on our own common sense. God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). Remember when God told Gibeon that he had too many men to fight the battle against the Midianites? (Judges 7:2) The very idea sounds absolutely insane! God keeps telling Gideon to tell many of the men to go home despite the fact that Israel was outnumbered by their enemy. Gideon won the battle, but he sought the Lord’s counsel. He was obedient even though God’s advice went against common sense and maybe even human sanity.

Maybe you feel trapped right now in a situation you got yourself into. God in His faithfulness will get you out. However, let us learn always to seek the counsel of the Lord on everything! This means we must trust Him fully—even when He tells us to do something that goes against everything our human minds are telling us to do. After all, it is not I who live but Christ in me. Let’s let Him guide us and direct our paths and live a life of total obedience to the One we love the most. Amen.