14 The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.
In order to save their own lives, the Gibeonites came up with an elaborate deception plan. As Israel was entering the Promised Land after spending forty years wandering around in the desert, they were told to totally destroy the inhabitants of the land. News of this coming destruction got to the people of Gibeon. They didn’t want to be killed. They wanted to live. Can you blame them? So they gathered all their worn out clothes and provisions and quickly walked to meet the Israelites. The deception worked. They looked as if they had traveled a very long distance instead of the few miles that they actually walked. The men of Israel made a simple mistake. They didn’t ask for wisdom from the Lord. They tried to do it on their own. They thought this was just a small thing, so they made the decision without getting God’s wisdom on the matter. Ouch! We can fall into this same trap in our lives. We need to ask the Lord, even when we think it is a small matter. That can be hard for those of us who are independent, strong willed people. The best thing to do is to be in continual contact with the Lord, always listening with care to His still small voice. You are always better to ask the Lord than to not ask. Asking is an act of submission, an act of humility and the Lord likes both of these. So today, as you have to make decisions, ask.
The Arnold Journey 