More lessons from Joshua
As Joshua goes into the promised land he is directed by God to take out all the people already living there. To kill everyone that breathes, destroy them and completely wipe them out. The Gibeonites hear of this, and get scared after the first couple of towns are taken. So they come up with a plan to deceive the Israelites, to make a treaty of protection with them. They make it look like they live outside the boundaries and are therefore eligible to make a treaty with the Israelites.
They actually are pretty smart and conniving. They put on old clothes and sandals to make it look like they have been traveling a long way. They put wine in old torn wine skins to make it look like it has been there awhile. Then they bake bread and let it get moldy. Then they go to Joshua and convince him that they have traveled from a far away land.
Joshua does question them and ask where they are from.
They say look at our clothes they were new when we started out. Look at our wine skins we just filled them at the beginning of our trip. Look at our bread it just came out of the oven before we left.
Joshua 9:14 says "So, the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord."
Bad move Joshua, but how many times have I made the same mistake? I make a decision based on what my eyes can see and don't take the time to consult the Lord. This looks like a good sale. To the naked eye this appears to be a solid house. Everything looks like this will be a good career move. This person appears to have the same values I have.
Just like the Israelites my eyes can deceive me. This can happen for many reasons.
1. I rush and don't look at the whole picture. I just look at what I can see directly in front of me.
2. I fail to see outside the box. The box of lines I stay inside, or the box I try to poke God in.
3. Or maybe the one I am most guilty of is that I see only what I want to see.
Satan is such a master at making things look good. Making me trust in what I see in front of me. When he convinces me to trust what I see, then I don't feel the need to ask God. Think of the best magic trick you have ever seen. Your eyes see it but your mind really knows it can't be true.
I need to make it a practice of asking God, even when I see it with my own eyes.
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