Are you reading the Bible through with me? Grab your pen and journal, and get ready to write your thoughts as you journey through the Bible.
Today, read Joshua chapters 7-9. In chapter 9, verse 14, we read a sad statement regarding Israel’s leaders: “The men of Israel…did not seek the Lord’s counsel.”
Discernment is a wonderful gift from God. According to the Oxford Dictionary, it means “having the ability to judge well.” In Christian references it means “perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.” So, in regards to the Israelite leadership, they were NOT using discernment, nor were they seeking God’s will.
Discernment isn’t just a gift for certain people. God desires for all of His children to exercise discernment. But in an age and culture filled with distractions, dissuasion, and deception, it is far too easy to trust our own training, intuition, or experiences. But that leads to unforeseen problems and issues.
What God really desires is for us to seek Him out for direction. Whatever you are facing, it is always the right decision to seek the Lord’s counsel before making any decision or move that is outside of His will.
In your journal, write about an incident that occurred in your life where you did NOT seek God’s counsel and pray before making a decision. Write what issues you faced and problems that resulted in that bad decision. Then, write an example of what happened whenever you sought God’s will in a problem you had to face. How did it turn out? Whenever you are tempted to make a move without consulting God first, look at this journal entry to remind yourself of what disasters can occur when you do not seek God and His will first.
PRAY: Jehovah Rohi, Lord our Shepherd, it is so easy to fall into the rut of depending on our experience, education and intuition to guide us. Ut all those things are human resources. My responsibility is to seek You, Your counsel and direction. Remind me often that You know and want only what is best for me and those I love. You are trustworthy and faithful. May the Holy Spirit increase my faith and obedience, especially in difficult times.
