If I was to give a title to this devotion it would not have a “vs” in it. I would simply call it a “Head-Scratching Moment.”

There are times I scratch my head at incidents in the Bible and say, “What? What gives?” For example: reading Joshua is an interesting exercise.

• Joshua and the people of Israel defeat Jericho without lifting a sword.
• They lose to Ai because of Achan’s sin and their failure to consult God before.
• They defeat Ai after consulting about the loss then by ambushing them according to God’s plan.
• They are deceived by the Gibeonites into thinking they have come a long way (Joshua 9)
• One verse stands out to me in that whole story: Verse 14- “So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.” (Emphasis mine)  Gut punch!
• They are compelled to keep their word (Yay for Joshua) when they find out the Gibeonites needed help in a battle. They had sworn to protect them and kept their word.

My point is this: Victory. Loss. Victory. Loss (Deception). The end of the deception is the slavery of the Gibeonites in menial tasks and for them that’s a great trade-off. But that’s not the point. The point is how did Joshua and his leaders miss it? The key goes back to that verse 14.

It hits me like a 2×4. How many times have I failed to consult God on big or “trivial” matters. How many times have I been deceived into a false sense of security or strength? Way more than I’d like to admit. So, I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised about Joshua. All I need to do is to look in the mirror.

“Father, I know this is a picture of me at times. Victory. Loss. Victory. Loss. All because I want to take things on my own. There are several “And God gave them” in Joshua’s future. Help me to remember the battle is yours but it never hurts to consult you before entering battle. Help me to reduce those head-scratching moment caused by my neglect.”