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Josh 9:13-14

13 "And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey." 14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.


Have you ever been shopping for a new car, or a house, or clothes, or just plain old grocery shopping?
The world is so good at covering over things and making them seem like something that they are really not.
Look at beer commercials; they portray beer drinking as fun, and beautiful women hanging all over you, friends and parties all the time.
I wonder how much they would sell if they showed the truth behind peoples lives who drink beer all the time.
You would see broken homes, jobless people, loneliness, rejection, filth etc.
But if they showed people the truth no one would but it.
The same goes for buying a home or car, they cover over the problems and paint them up and shine up the chrome to make them look appealing, but underneath they are falling apart.
The world tries to sell us clothes we don't need, making you think that you are out of fashion if you don't have the latest look.
Then there is the grocery shopping with all sorts of stuff with pretty labels, new and improved across the front of the package, anything to get you to buy things you don't need.
All of this is the same thing that was going on in today's devotional verses. Let's pick it up from the beginning.

  • Josh 9:3-6 3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, 5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. 6 And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us."


    • The people of Gibeon portrayed themselves as something that they weren't and they were finally caught, but only after the children of Israel made a covenant with them.

  • Josh 9:15 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.


    • I would encourage you to read the whole story in chapter 9 of Joshua.

    But the answer to why they gave into the people of Gibeon is in the second half of verse 14.
    But they did not ask counsel of the LORD.

    We make big decisions like buying a car or home and we should be seeking the Lord before we do. But we also make smaller decisions like clothes shopping or food shopping, do you pray before you go shopping for these things?
    I know it may sound crazy, but it's really not, because the Lord wants to share all of your life, not just the big decisions you make. Yes God loves you and wants to be there when you go grocery shopping or clothes shopping. You would take a friend with you wouldn't you? So why not include God as one of your friends.

  • John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.


    • Jesus laid His life down for you and wants to be your friend all the time, not just when there are big decisions or problems you are facing.

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