We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

Jos 9:6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

If I haven't made it known in the past posts, I am walking along through the book of Joshua, one chapter a day minus Sunday. Please feel free to follow along and may these posts be a blessing, an encouragement, and a challenge.

It is amazing at what the devil will go through to beguile us into believing something that is not true. Here the children of Israel have now walked even further into the promised land and doing the will of God. In previous chapters they have battled Jericho (the world), Ai (the flesh), and now they come up against the Gibeonites (the devil). We see that they (Gibeonites) had premeditated a lie by coming into the camp with moldy bread and old wine skins, they even wore the tattered clothes to make it look like they had traveled from afar off. You would have thought after loosing to Ai, that the nation of Israel would've been a little more on guard, or perhaps they were and this is the only way the devil could get a foothold into their lives. The same goes for us in our lives if we are not careful friend, if we allow those little things that look harmless to creep in. Then after those little things creep in and tarry amongst us for a while they get a foothold, that is when the devil has beguiled us. We must not do like the children of Israel. No we must most go to the Lord in prayer and seek wisdom in decisions, and be on the lookout for those wiles of the devil. Unfortunately once the Gibeonites were in they were in, don't think for a moment that because Joshua made them to be servants that they didn't effect the nation. It is just like when we allow those things into our lives, it affects not only us, but those that are in our life also. They asked for a league (a pact) to be made with them that they shouldn't be harmed, they lied about their home, and ultimately they lied about the reason they were afraid. Friend if they were truly afraid of God they would've left their wicked ways and rejoiced and came to worship the only true and Living God. Be careful for your life in this world because as the Bible says Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The Bible admonishes us to look out and look up to Christ our Savior that he may deliver us from the devil and his wicked ways. Daily we should be walking with Jesus in prayer and meditation and above all else....Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Don't be fooled into decisions, or friendships of this world, for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and loose his own soul? There is a message in the book of Genesis of Lot and his decisions but I will reserve that for a later date. Friend I can only encourage you today to think before you make decisions, be on guard. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. The devil is not your friend, but how many times does he make you seem like he is? How has he gotten into your life and made you make a league with somebody or something you should have never entered into? How does he blind you into believing something that is not totally true? How does he keep you from doing the things you ought to?