Wait On The Lord

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:6

In Joshua 9, the Israelites were experiencing great victories. One day, they arrived at a new territory, and that region's kings had united to fight them. But one of the groups, the Gibeonites, decided to break away from their enemy coalition. They developed a plan to wear old, worn-out clothes and approached the Israelites as if they were a city from very far away when, in fact, they were locals. Their goal was to trick Israel into making a covenant of peace with them. 

Joshua 9:14 says, "Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but they did not ask counsel of the Lord. So Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to let them live, and the rulers of the congregation swore to them." Making a covenant in Bible times was very serious. When an allegiance was agreed upon, you had to fight their battles, and they had to fight yours. The Israelites made a crucial decision under pressure, and it never crossed their mind to ask God for direction. 

Very soon after the Israelites made the covenant with the Gibeonites, a nation attacked them. Suddenly, the nation of Israel was involved in a battle that was not even their own. 

We often fight someone else's battle because we chose to get into a "covenant" with them. When you come to a place where you face critical decisions, you can't afford to use your intellect alone. During these times, always seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. Seek His counsel for every area of your life. 

Learn to ask before you act. Don't just dive into decisions and expect God to back you up. Neglecting to pray and seek His counsel is how you end up entangled with the Gibeonites of life. God has promised He will direct your path if you trust Him instead of leaning on your own understanding.

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