I am finding it very helpful to think of the things I am grateful for each morning before I say my prayers. The ability to find at least one thing I am grateful for each morning has helped me keep my life in perspective. I recognize that the Lord is active in my life and blessing me each day, and it sets the tone for my prayer and really for the rest of the day. Starting the day out on the right foot makes the day go so much smoother.
Today I am especially grateful for the blessings that I am seeing in my life from enduring the rough times and trying to remain obedient. I thanked the Lord for keeping His side of the bargain! These blessings have been great faith boosters to me and my family and have brought the Spirit into our home, something we have grown to count on. So, thank you Father, for all you are doing in my life right now and in the lives of my family members!
Joshua 9:14-21
Yesterday I talked about how the Israelites were deceived by the Gibeonites and the lessons that we can learn from these events in regards to us being deceived by the devil. Today I would like to discuss the disruptions that Satan can cause in our lives.
Our ability to see clearly (v 7, 8, 14)
Notice that in verse 7, Joshua initially was a little skeptical of these so-called ambassadors. He questioned them about their origin again in verse 8. Joshua is to be commended for his caution, but he gave up just a little too soon! When the Gibeonites showed him their clothes, their food and the broken wineskins, Joshua was more than impressed and he believed their story.
Remember the words in 1 Pet. 5:8, be "sober and vigilant". These words carry the idea of being in control of ourselves and of being watchful. Would the story have a different ending had Joshua been a little more vigilant in his questioning? Are there times in our own lives when more vigilance would have allowed us to see the situation more clearly? I cannot speak for any one else, but I can say that I have definitely been less than vigilant at times in my life, so I am not going to judge Joshua too harshly.
We do not have to fall for everything the devil tells us. He is a liar and the father of it (John 8:44). We do not have to fall into his traps. When our spiritual vision gets dim, we just need to slow down and look at things through sober eyes and be vigilant until we see the truth.
Our ability to seek counsel (v 14)
Notice that the Israelites ate (took of their victuals) with the Gibeonites. To break bread with someone in that day was considered to be a sign of friendship. Also notice at the end of this verse it states, "and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord". They did not take the matter to the Lord. Before you judge too quickly, think to yourself:
How many times has this been true in your life? Have there been times when what was offered to you seemed good and you jumped in without seeking the Lord's will in the matter?
This is a common mistake, but one that we can learn from and hopefully not repeat. The more we seek the Lord's voice the more familiar we will become with it, and that ability to discern His voice from that of Satan or even our own will can prevent disruptions from our seeking His counsel.
Even harder than the actual asking the Lord what His will is, is the waiting for the answer! Not taking action until we receive an answer can be hard, especially if we are feeling pressure from others to make a decision. What do we get if we wait? Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart" ; Proverbs 20:22, "but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee"; D&C 98:2, "Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord ...—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted." Those sound like blessings worth waiting for!
Our ability to stay clean (vv 15-21)
In these verses, we see that the Israelites ability to be a separate people before the Lord was marred by their decision to make a league with the Gibeonites. God had told them to utterly destroy the inhabitants and to make no covenants with them at all, "And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:" (Deut 7:2) However, Israel disobeyed this command and as a result they sinned before the Lord.
Again, before we judge them too harshly, let's look at ourselves for a minute. How many times have we been guilty of following Satan instead of the Lord? The scriptures tell us, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,".(2 Cor. 6:17) Yet, all too often, we will allow ourselves to be distracted by the things of the world. This is hard!
Here's the deal, if you let him, the devil will get you into a place where you lose touch with the spiritual things in your life. No one is exempt from his temptations, he even tried to tempt Christ himself! Just look at the story of David, the sweet singer of Israel, the man after God's own heart, to see what the devil can do to a life.
Fortunately, the Lord has given us an arsenal in which to fight against Satan. We have the scriptures, prayer, prophets, revelation, and the list goes on. We choose which disruptions we will allow into our lives, and we will have to face the consequences for these choices, just like the Israelites have to. Here is one of my favorite quotes regarding this topic:
"Satan has no power over us except as we give it to him. God never forces us to do right, and Satan has no power to force us to do wrong."
— Sterling W. Sill
— Sterling W. Sill
I think that says it all!
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