Today’s Scripture: Joshua 9-12
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. – 2 Corinthians 11:13-14
A jewelry store vault in a fashionable section of London was advertised as one of the world’s safest. It had armed security guards, steel walls two feet thick, bulletproof glass, infrared detectors, and sound detectors. How could anyone rob a vault like that?
It happened when two well-dressed men came in posing as prospective customers and convinced the manager to show them around. While a third man posed as a guard and turned other customers away from the front door, the two men put a gun to the manager’s head and robbed the vault of an estimated $32 million in jewelry and cash. Where brute force would have failed, they succeeded by trickery and deception.
This was the strategy of the men of Gibeon, recorded in Joshua 9. They pretended to come from a far country, seeking a treaty of peace and mutual alliance. It certainly seemed the Gibeonites were telling the truth. It looked like they had come from a far country. Their bread was moldy, their wineskins were torn, their shoes were worn out. But it was all a hoax, and Joshua was taken in. While he was victorious in open warfare, he was defeated by trickery. We can learn an important lesson from Joshua’s failure. Did he ask counsel of God? No. Did he seek the Lord? No. Did he counsel with the priests and elders? No. He acted on his own.
We must always remember that the enemy of our souls is not only a roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour, he is also a subtle serpent.
Prayer
Lord, remind me to seek Your counsel in everything, great or small. And give me the discernment to resist Satan’s subtle ploys. Amen.
To Ponder
If you made a list of the five most dangerous temptations facing you today, what would they be?
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