The Gibeonites were able to deceive Joshua and the Israelites into believing they were something they were not. Because of this deception, the Israelites had to deal with the damage that came from the Gibeonite’s lies. In the same way, if we are ever face deception and fall into sin, we will have to deal with the resulting damage.
“Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1.15
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Joshua realized that they had been deceived after making a treaty with the Gibeonites. Because of this oath, they were unable to attack and destroy the people. Even so, they had to do something with them. They had to deal with the damage of the deception. It was decided to put the Gibeonites to work in the assembly of the Israelites.
If we allow sin to get a foothold in our lives, and do nothing about it, it will lead to death, both spiritual and physical. The damage will be done, but we can still do something about it. To deal with the damage of sin will involve discipline.
Even if we are deceived by sin; Even if we don’t listen to the discerning voice in our heads; Even if we don’t seek the direction of God; Even if sin creeps in and causes damage in our life; We still have the ability, with God’s help, to control that sin.
The sin will always be part of our past, but it doesn’t have to determine our present or future. We must work at taking control of the sin with which we battle. We must give it over to the Lord, trusting that He will remove it from us or give us the grace to handle the consequences that come with sin.
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Ultimately, what we can learn from Joshua’s experience with the Gibeonites is this… if we would be intentional about listening to the direction from the Lord through the discerning voice of the Spirit within us, we will be able to fend off many of the attacks of sin that come rushing at us and tempting us on any given day.
- Don’t be Deceived by the sins that arise;
- Trust the Discernment we receive;
- Seek God’s Direction when making decisions;
- Address the Damage when it comes;
- Quickly Discipline those sins, so they will not have control on your present or future life.
Just a Thought…
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Have a blessed day!