Inquire First!

Josh.9:¹⁴ “So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. ¹⁵ Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath” [emphasis added].

When blessing Abraham, the Bible says God swore by Himself. Swearing has to be by a greater authority. But because there was none greater, God said, “In blessing, Abraham, I will bless you”. Erroneously, when God asks something of us, we think that God wants to take something from us. But when God asks something from us, He does not want to take from; He wants to get something to us. When God asks for something from you, He is not interested in what He can take from you. He is thinking of what He can get to you. He is checking your foundation, checking to see if it can carry what is about to be released to you. Ps.105:¹⁹ “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character

The second kind of covenant you need to be aware of is the covenant between men. Josh.9:¹⁴ “So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord… ¹⁶ Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby!” God had said He was going to give the children of Abraham the land and it was coming to pass. So they were going to drive out everyone that lived in that place. The Gibeonites knew it would soon be their turn . So they pretended they were from distant lands. Be careful when men just come to salute you. They did not just salute and go, they stayed and asked to sign a treaty. By that time the Jews were beginning to feel important because it translated to being recognized in the treaty. And the Bible says they did not inquire of the Lord.

Before you enter into agreement with any man, please inquire of the Lord. Do not enter into any agreement with any man without consulting God, even if it is your blood brother, even if it is someone you have a history with that dates back to twenty years. The question is, what is God saying? Do not do it without clearing with God because any covenant you enter with any man outside of God’s will, will only put you in bondage. Do not base your judgment only on how good the business idea is. . Do not be blinded by the projected numbers. Do not make the mistake that Joshua and his men made. These examples are instructive to us. Never…never ever make a treaty with men without checking with God.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please guide me by Your counsel and make it impossible for me to make any move without consulting with God first, in Jesus Name. Amen!