READ: JOSHUA 9; JAMES 1:5

In Joshua 9, a group of deceptive people come to the Israelites. They bring moldy bread and wear old clothes, saying that they have traveled far and that the bread was fresh and warm when they left home. The Israelites examine their provisions, and then they accept the lies. Instead of going to God and asking Him what to do, they believe their visitors. Only later do the Israelites find out they have been tricked.

When things seem simple and we think we have the ability to figure everything out, it’s almost as if we try to save God time by handling it on our own. It’s like we think that He’s too busy and we’re doing some good deed by taking care of things without Him. How many times do we end up in messes like the Israelites did because of this?

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” God tells us not to rely on our own understanding of a situation. Instead, He always wants us to come to Him for help.

No matter what we are facing, no matter how simple things might seem, God invites us to seek Him before we make a decision. He knows what’s best, and He always has the answers we need. • Emily Acker

• We’ve all made decisions without first reaching out to God and ended up regretting it. Yet God is so merciful to us that even when we mess up, He extends help. This is the hope of the gospel—when we were drowning in our sin, helpless to save ourselves, Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to save us. And even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He continues to show us mercy when we mess up. Can you think of a time God helped you in the aftermath of a bad decision?

• As we seek God, He guides us through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Have you ever experienced God guiding you in a decision you had to make? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

• Is there a situation in your life right now where you think you know what to do? Have you talked to God about it yet? Even if the answer seems obvious, you can ask Him to either confirm what you’re planning to do, or steer you in another direction.

The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Joshua 9:14 (NIV)