Always Ask God first
by Patricia Lake
In today’s scripture the tribe of Dan were still searching for their inheritance in the land of Israel and after sending spies on reconnaissance, they asked the Levite priest whom they came across, to ask counsel of the Lord so that they could proceed with success.
In our journeying with the Lord as humans, we can be vulnerable in our assumptions, not least when we forget to check with the Lord about situations we are facing which blind side us unexpectedly.
In the book of Joshua, that was what had happened to Joshua (Chapter 9) when the Gibeonites suddenly arrived with the intention of deceiving him and the Israelites into thinking that they had come from a far country on a long journey. They had heard of the fall of Jericho and Ai, because God was with the Israelites, and so they hatched a plot to make a contract with Joshua and the leaders of Israel so their lives would be spared.
However, the key verse (Joshua 9:14) reveals that the Israelites “asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord”, and so once the peace contract had been agreed, the trap was set. There was no going back. The contract had been made in the sight of the Lord, so they couldn’t destroy the Gibeonites, but made them servants instead, once the deception came to light. The long-term consequences of this decision affected the people of Israel for generations to come.
In these days in which we live, we need the discernment and wisdom of the Lord in order to avoid the traps and snares of the enemy at every turn. The Bible warns us to be vigilant and, on our guard, as the enemy is going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), and as sons and daughters of the living God we would do well to heed the words of Scripture. God gives us discernment for this very reason, and should there be any doubt, Scripture encourages us to ask of God.
Whatever you might be facing today, the Lord will guard your steps to keep your feet from being taken, but checking with Him first brings clarity and avoids the cost of negative consequences. What a blessing to know the Lord is always watching over us!
Patricia Lake is now Ellel’s Representative in Curacao, in the Dutch West Indies, where she is now living, having served with Ellel Ministries as Peter Horrobin’s Secretary for almost 20 years. Prior to that she was in ministry in her local Pentecostal church in Birmingham, before feeling the call of God to serve in the healing and deliverance ministry at Ellel Grange in the northwest of England.
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