Don't Forget To Pray

DON’T FORGET TO PRAY

 

“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not

inquire of the Lord.” (Joshua 9:14, NIV)

 

After the days of Moses when the armies of Israel, led by

Joshua, were conquering the Promised Land marked out for

them by God, the surrounding kings and nations were

understandably terrified. This was because God was with the

Israelites giving them great victories wherever they went.

 

However, the men of Gibeon, a nearby country, resorted to

trickery and outsmarted Joshua. They sent a delegation to

Joshua with the appearance of having come from a distant

land so they could deceive Joshua into making a treaty with

them. Their donkeys carried worn-out sacks and old wineskins

that were cracked and had been mended. They wore old

clothes, and worn and patched sandals, and the bread they

carried with them was dry and moldy.

 

Their ruse worked. Joshua signed a treaty with them and only

afterwards discovered they were a neighboring people among

those countries God had told Joshua to destroy because of

their wickedness. They had to live with the consequences as

a result.

 

Joshua’s mistake was that he made this treaty without

praying and inquiring of the Lord! An extremely valuable

lesson for all of us to learn!

 

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for including this

story in your Word, the Bible, as a graphic reminder for me

to seek your guidance and direction for every aspect of my

life, so that I will continuously live in harmony with your

perfect will. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”