Josh 9:14, So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. 
	In this morning’s reading, we have the account of the inhabitants of Gibeon and how they out-smarted the leaders of Israel. It is a sad account of what takes place when the Lord is not sought in the every decision making process. As is clearly stated in our passage, So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. 
Rather than ask the Lord about this whole episode and what to do, the leaders took it upon themselves to make the decision. This ended up being the opposite of what they should have done. It also shows just how unreliable our plans and our thoughts and our ideas of reality are in the face of fulfilling the plans and purposes of God.
	This is one of those accounts which should help to reinforce the fact that we need to seek God’s counsel and His guidance in the every detail of our walk on this earth. So often, we have this idea that God is only there for the major issues of life. As a result, we think that it is our place to make the smaller, less important decisions on our own. We do so with our meager and limited concepts and feeble sense of reality. 
What the people saw in the case of those Gibeonites was not the truth of who they were and where they were from. The Israelites opened themselves up to the deception that was put upon them because they did not think it important enough to ask the Lord what to do with these travelers.
	If they had sought the Lord and His infinite Omniscience, they would have had a completely different historical outcome. Seeking the Lord’s wisdom certainly would have prevented some of the issues that were to later plague them when they continued their compromise as to what the Lord demanded and what they actually chose to do. They thought they knew better than the Lord. They thought they knew how to deal with these imposters. The Nation of Israel would eventually learn the folly of that course of action.
	That is what we need to take away, at the very least, from this account. No matter how learned we may be, none of us human beings will ever know better than God what is going on in our lives. So many times, we are caught up in the limited details of the issues as we see them. We do not realize that the Lord is working far beyond the meager scope of our finite understanding and our cursory vision. We can only see the moment, while God sees eternity.
Some of the seemingly least important decisions that we make can come back in the most unforeseen ways, serving to turn our lives all around in twisting and topsy-turvy circles. As but a single example, when it comes to the manner in which we deal with the money that we spend choose to spend. We might use it one way that meets our wants, while it might have served a far greater purpose if it had been saved against a rainy day, or if it had been used in a manner that gave aid to someone else.
	That is just one simple matter that is daily in the decision process. I often think back on the way and the words with which I dealt with someone who needed counsel. I earnestly ask the Lord to overrule anything that I might have said from my own ideas and my concepts and my human reasoning. 
When we are dealing with people, we need to understand that we are dealing with eternal beings. They will either be the recipients of the life of Jesus Christ or they will eternally suffer the consequences of their rejection of the Only Begotten Son of God. The decisions that are made truly matter beyond the scope of our understanding. Accordingly, all our interactions with every person can never be considered as minor ones. We are to ask the Lord to work out in us the reality that we minister life or death in accordance with our responses to every person in our lives, both those long-term relationships as well as those fleeting encounters.
	The simplest interaction at the gas station could be a deciding factor in someone’s mind as to the difference that Jesus makes in a person. Or, if we are less than loving, it may reinforce their thoughts of the hypocrisy of Christianity from myriads of other encounters with those who call themselves Christians. We always need to ask the Lord to help us in our interactions, large and small. It must be ever with the view as to how we are to be constantly truer and purer witnesses of Jesus to everyone in our sphere of influence. It is also the reason that we need to be in that continual mode of prayer unto the Lord as we deal with others. We need to constantly beseech His ruling and overruling for His glory. This is a necessity especially when we do blow it and bring displeasure to Our Lord.
	Another expression of this need to ask for the Lord’s direction and constant guidance comes into evidence in our immediate actions and interactions with loved ones. Those closest to us need to have the expressed Love of Christ bountifully lavished upon them as we seek the Lord to guide our every word, our every action, our every reaction, and our every thought concerning our loved ones. Our homes, where we are most comfortable and most at ease need to become the arena of our continual reliance upon God as to how to make every decision, large or small, complicated or simple.
	Let us look at a number of decisions that were and were not taken to the Lord by various individuals in Scripture. We do so with the hope that it will be reinforced in our hearts, and especially in our minds, that we need to go to the Lord constantly to seek His way in the path at each turn and fork and time of decision. He wants us to ask Him what we need to do so that He can bless our obedience and make the every provision for what lies ahead of us. There is no one who can help us more than the Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent Lord God Almighty Who holds eternity in His hand.
	We begin with Moses as he sought the Lord about who would take over the leading of the Children of Israel upon his death. He so loved the people, despite their obstinacy and hard-headedness and rejection of the Lord oh so many different times. He wanted the best choice, the Lord’s choice of the one who would care for this nation of God’s people. That choice was Joshua, as we read in Num 27:18-21.
Please turn to Num 27:18-21, so we can read the Lord’s response to Moses. Please note how the Lord even made the provision for the priest to inquire of the Lord for the manner in which the decisions were made in order for Joshua to lead the people. God was promising that He would make known, through the priest, the every choice that had to be made.
	Num 27:18-21, So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight. "And you shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation." 
	Later, after the people had entered into the Promised Land, there came the time that Joshua died. He was one of the oldest of the people, since he and Caleb, alone, had survived from that first generation. In Judg 1:1-4, we see that the Israelites knew that they needed the guidance of the Lord in the decision of who would lead forth those tribes who were still in the process of conquest. They wisely decided to ask the Lord concerning His choice as is recorded in this passage. The Lord chose the tribe of Judah to lead forth in the continued conquest of the Promised Land.
	Judg 1:1-4, Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" And the Lord said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you." So Simeon went with him. And Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands; and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek. 
	Another man who is a testimony to us of seeking after the Lord for the many decisions of his life is David. Admittedly, he was not perfect in this. None of us are. However David did go to the Lord over and over again to ask the Lord as to the course and the direction that he should take. In that, we have much to learn from his example. We will consider a couple of the times that are recorded in God’s Word for this to be established in our lives.
	Please turn to 1 Sam 23:9-13. Here we find David being pursued by King Saul. David did not know where to turn, so he turned to the Lord and asked Him for guidance and direction.
    	1 Sam 23:9-13, Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." Then David said, "O Lord God of Israel, Thy servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Thy servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Thy servant." And the Lord said, "He will come down." Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will surrender you." Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit. 
	In 2 Sam 2:1-4, we have the coronation of David as King of Judah. This took place because David sought the Lord as to where he should go. Because of his obedience to the Lord he was where he needed to be for the people of Judah to make him their king. Had he not sought the Lord, it is possible that he would have missed this blessing at this moment in his life.
	2 Sam 2:1-4, Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" And the Lord said to him, "Go up." So David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron." So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul." 
	On the other hand, as an example of one who did not seek the counsel of the Lord, we have the tragic consequences of King Saul’s self-determination detailed in 1 Chron 10:13+14. He lost all the blessing of the Lord when he chose not to seek and obey the Lord’s counsel. Saul instead chose to seek after the ways of this world.
	1 Chron 10:13+14, So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it, and did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse. 
    	Returning to the examples of those who sought after the Lord, we have the example of Ezra. When Ezra was leading the captives home from the exile, he faced the choice that we all have in our walk. He could either seek the protection of man or the protection of God on the long and treacherous journey. As we can read in Ezra 8:21-23, he and the people sought the Lord and they were delivered back to the Promised Land. The Lord listened and responded to their entreaty.
	Ezra 8:21-23, Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him." So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty. 
    	Our next passage is a most familiar and beloved one that we often quote to ourselves and to others when we are in need of encouragement in our trust in the Lord. It is Prov 3:5+6. The key to it in this morning’s discussion is that we are truly and honestly to seek after the Lord to make this the course of our every decision. Not just those that are hard or difficult, but every decision from the moment we wake in the morning until we close our eyes at night. We are to learn to abide in this living relationship of trust in the Lord. This is not something that we can say that we have learned once and then forget about it. It is the moment by moment course of our walk with the Lord.
	Prov 3:5+6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 
    	This matter of seeking the Lord and trusting in Him is highlighted throughout the Scriptures as in Isa 30:1+2. Here, the Prophet Isaiah speaks the very words of the Lord to those who were seeking earthly rescue from the forces that were arrayed against them. The Lord made it very evident that the people of God need to look to God and to ask Him for His plan and His purpose in their lives rather than counting on the unreliable and self-serving plans of other people and other nations.
	Isa 30:1+2, "Woe to the rebellious children," declares the Lord, "Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; Who proceed down to Egypt, Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh, And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! 
	We conclude with the great encouragement of Brother James in James 1:5-8. In this scripture, we have the direct command from God to seek Him in all our times of making decisions. We have the very wisdom of God open to us through the abiding Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Why would we think that we could do better than that in our own course of limited and unreliable and foolish human judgment and ideas? We simply need to ask the Lord for the course of His plans for our lives. We need to turn to Him and obey Him as the course in which we should walk as pleasing to Him. He will always respond in truth through the wisdom that has created all that we are and all that we ever will be!
	James 1:5-8, But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 
	Lord willing, we have found that there is infinite wealth of knowledge in the Lord to meet the every time of our quandary and need of decision. He is there for us at all times. He is always able and desirous to guide us in the course that will forever be the best and most perfect one. His way will always be for our blessing as His good purposes are fulfilled in us, to His Glory, Alone! So be it!
So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. Amen. 

This morning’s benediction is Ps 71:22. I will also praise Thee with a harp, Even Thy truth, O my God; To Thee I will sing praises with the lyre, O Thou Holy One of Israel. Amen.