Day 63

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Gibeonites Deception Their Only Hope

Scripture

March 3–Joshua 9-12: Conquest Concluded

Observation

By attacking the land of Canaan in the center, Joshua has now isolated the two halves of the country, making it impossible for the remaining armies to link up and form a united front against the advancing Israelite troops. The Gibeonites, hearing the sad fate of Jericho and wishing to escape a similar end, send emissaries to trick Joshua into signing a peace treaty. The strategy works when Joshua fails to inquire of the Lord, with the result that Israel ends up defending rather then destroying her enemy.

Application

One good way to gauge your growth in the Christian life is not by asking whether you have difficult problems to handle, but whether the problems you are handling are the same problems you had last year and the year before that!

Joshua 12: 7-24 lists thirty-one of General Joshua's victories—each achieved in the strength of the Lord, and each representing a stepping stone toward Joshua's ultimate goal of conquering Canaan. How many victories have you enjoyed in the first few weeks of this year? See if you can think of one God-given "breakthrough" in each of the following areas:

  • the use of your tongue
  • the use of your money
  • your relationships
  • your leisure-time activities
  • sharing your faith
  • controlling your temper
Now pause and thank God that your life is still under construction for his glory.

Prayer

Dear God, we know we will always have problems of some kind and we know we will need your divine interventions in our problem situations. We just want to thank you for all of the above breakthroughs and for keeping our life under construction for your glory! In Jesus name, amen!

Divine Interventions—God-Given Breakthroughs!




© Odessa Mathis about my Father's business! 2019

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