So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.

Have you ever heard the warning, “Don’t get in too deep”? This saying evokes the idea of getting too far into a situation you can’t easily get out of. We might imagine the picture of quicksand. What steps did the Israelites take to get into their sticky situation? They started by giving provisions to this group that seemed in need. This may not seem like a big deal to us, and even appears to be a good and generous move, but the text tells us that they did not seek the Lord’s counsel. They also went further by making peace and a binding covenant and oath with this group without counsel from the Lord. The Israelites very quickly got in over their heads, binding themselves to people who only had deceit in their hearts.

We can also quickly get in over our heads. When we start to live guided by feelings alone, we often find ourselves in unfamiliar places, doing things we never thought we would. That first step without counsel from God may feel like no big deal, but it can begin a pattern of living without Him as our guide. James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” God is faithful to give us wisdom when we seek Him. The question is, will we take the time to seek Him before we decide what is best for ourselves? What if we stopped only seeking God when we are desperate or when we faced a major decision but also sought His counsel in the small things? Over time, it will become like a reflex to ask His direction when we hit big decisions as we have already been seeking Him in the little ones.

• What are some small decisions you can ask God’s wisdom for today?
• How likely are you to seek counsel from God and His Word on a regular basis? Why?
• Pray and ask God to show you how to seek and listen to His counsel daily.