CONSULT

“So Joshua took control of the entire land, just as the Lord had instructed Moses. He gave it to the people of Israel as their special possession, dividing the land among the tribes. So the land finally had rest from war.”  Joshua 11:23

Everything was a first for Joshua. Being tasked with leading Israel and facing vast army after vast army were things he had never done before. When faced with such formidable foes, Joshua didn’t have the luxury of relying on past experiences, he had to go to the Lord for the battle plans. 

In one such experience, Joshua learned a valuable lesson from a mistake he made, one he never repeated again. The king of Gibeon sent an envoy to Joshua seeking a peace treaty, but they came in disguise. They purposefully put on worn-out clothes and sandals and saddled their donkeys with moldy bread and tattered wine skins, all in an effort to appear as if they had come from a distant land. The truth was, they were neighbors living just a short distance away. Joshua 9:14 says, “So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord.”

Joshua fell for the enemy’s tactic of deception. He violated “the Voice” on the inside that was telling him, “There’s something wrong with this picture.” Had he stopped long enough to consult with the Lord, God would have shown him exactly what to do and how to respond. Joshua learned from that error and, moving forward, he leaned on the Lord heavily as he faced one king and army after another. In the end, God gave Joshua great victory over all their enemies, and He gave Israel the land they had been promised.

I can so relate to Joshua! There have been plenty of times in life, and always to my regret, when I pushed aside that “still small Voice” and just went with things as they appeared. But, thank God that’s not where the Father wanted to leave me, no more than He wanted to leave Israel there. He wants to fix our mistakes and take us on to greater victories every time!

Today, let’s remember that “the consultations are always free” and He’s available any time!