What Would God Have Me Do?

Joshua 9:14 – 16 -   The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.  Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.  Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them.

The word spread fast to all the Kings who lived in the land that God had given to the Israelites…that these people …who let Yahweh control their lives…were a great threat. One king decided to come up with a con…a ruse…a trick that would protect his people from the sure death and destruction that was coming. His people dressed in the oldest rags they had…worn shoes… worn out wine skins complete with the oldest wine they had …even packing only the driest moldiest bread they had…to plead for a treaty with God’s people.  They completed their ruse with a false story of their travels from a distant land.

They would not have gotten away with it…except that the leaders who made the decision to believe them…did not inquire of God what to do. They tasted the provisions these Gibeonites presented as proof...and agreed to let them become servants and woodcutters for the Israelites.  They fell for the ruse… had to keep their vow…even when they found out the truth.

What a great reminder to always check with God before making a decision. I sure am guilty… of making decisions too many times without stopping and whispering a prayer of “what should I do?” Especially when it it is what I perceive to be a small thing.  I needed the reminder that the more I include God in all my decisions…the less I will have to backtrack ….and ask him to help me fix the mess I made by jumping ahead of him.

Luke 11:9 reminds us...  “So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” I believe that goes for every decision we need to make. But James 4:3 reminds us to also ask with the right motives…to make sure our heart is clean and thinking with God’s ideals in mind before we ask. It says… “You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.”

Thank you Lord for the reminder to include you in every decision I make.  Forgive me for the many times I jump ahead of you…and forget to include a prayer for your will to be carried out in all that I do. Help me to stay in such a constant attitude of prayer that my only response to every deicision is to stop and ask you what would you have me do?  Amen.