HeartWord – John 7:24
“Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
Begin with a Smile
“With high-definition TV everything looks bigger and wider. It’s kind of like
going to a high school reunion.”
Daily Devotional
Joshua 9:5
“The men put worn and patched sandals on
their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread
of their food supply was dry and moldy.”
Fooled by Appearances
When Israel came from Egypt to the Promised Land they had a specific command from God that they should not make covenants with the people who lived in Canaan. Rather than associate with them, Israel was commanded to drive them out. The people of Gibeon heard about this and decided to trick Israel into letting them stay.
They loaded their donkey with “worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, ‘We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.'” (Joshua 9:5-6).
Without consulting the Lord, Israel agreed to a pact with them. Things were not what Israel thought they were. Things were not what Israel wanted them to be. These men were enemies, but Israel made an agreement to let these men to live among them.
Israel would have been well off to know what Paul told the Corinthians, “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor 15:33). Israel’s downfall in the Promised Land was that they never drove out the idol worshippers.
Why did they let they make a pact of living with the Gibeonites? The answer is that they could not see past the patched sandals and worn out old clothes. They sampled the provisions of the Gibeonites and made a decision based on appearances.
Even today we as Christians get fooled by appearances. We see things that look okay and then go along to get along. We make the same fatal mistake as Israel when they “did not inquire of the Lord.” (Joshua 9:14).
Lonnie Davis
Bible Question
What animals did Samson tie together by their tails?
Today’s Bible Chapter
is Job 8. To read it click H E R E.
Answer to the Bible Question:
Seeking revenge, Samson caught “three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails.” (Judges 15:4).
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