Several years ago, at one of the churches I served, a couple stopped at the church to ask for help with food and gas. They said they were driving from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Lansing, Michigan for a funeral. I was not sure about their need, because the church I pastored was near South Bend, Indiana. It would have been a two-hour detour if they were going from Fort Wayne to Lansing.
Along with the unlikelihood that they would just be “driving by” the church, they also seemed to have supplies. They had over ¾ of a tank of gas, and a back seat filled with bags of groceries. Even so, they had their excuses as to why they still needed the help. So, I agreed to get some canned goods for them from my apartment. As I went inside to grab some food, they took off never to be seen again.
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In recent years, I had a similar experience with another gentleman. He stopped by the church to ask for help with gas for his car. Again, the route he was taking, from point A to point B, should not have, in any way, brought him past the church.
I decided to give him a gas card, and he went away content with the gift. However, a few months later, he showed up at the church again with the same story and in need of gas. I reminded him that he had stopped in a few months earlier. He denied ever stopping at the church and then turned and left in a rush.
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These stories just emphasize the fact that people will work hard to deceive others into giving them what they want. There may be a glimmer of truth to the words they say, but most of it is falsehoods to get their way.
Over the next few posts, we are going to look at Joshua chapter 9. It is the story of the Gibeonite deception. As we look through the chapter, we will find ways to avoid being deceived by others. More importantly, we will learn ways to avoid being deceived by sin. We will also discuss what to do if and when we fall to the deceptive ways of the world.
Just a Thought…
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Please come back to read through the other posts or to hear more messages found on this website.
Have a blessed day!