Deceived, Outnumbered and Overwhelmed

No experience in Christian living is so full of danger

as the flush of victory.

Alan Redpath

In Joshua 9, Israel, coming off a major victory, was tricked by the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites, wearing old clothes and carrying worn wineskins, led Joshua to believe they were from a land far away and aligned with the One True God. Israel was deceived. Sadly, we can be deceived. We can be lied to by those close to us. We can fall for a ruse. We can be caught off guard and blind sided. We learn to trust our instincts and listen to our ‘gut’, but our instincts prove faulty. Where do we turn, who do we trust, and how do we battle deception? As we study these verses, we find Joshua did not ask God or seek His counsel; there is no mention of prayer. The sooner we realize that we cannot trust our instincts, the stronger our battle strategy. We trust the Holy Spirit and prayer is our number one weapon against deception.

In Joshua 10, Israel is outnumbered. Is there anything more defeating than looking around and everyone is against you? What did Joshua do? And what battle strategy can we put in place? He marched all night; so when God wakes you up in the middle of the night…pray. Joshua planned a sudden attack; so take your enemy by surprise. Joshua cries out to God; so let your tears fall to Him. Joshua asked something preposterous – for the sun to stand still; so ask boldly. And Joshua believed God could do what he asked; so believe all you know about God and take up your shield of faith.

And when we are worn down and there’s no fight left, just on the verge of giving in… do just as the Lord commanded. These words were Joshua’s secret. He obeyed God consistently, thoroughly, solidly, methodically; step-by-step he just did the thing. Totally destroy your enemy – don’t let any sin settle in or stick around. Return to home base and get your strength back. Don’t be intimidated by something new like chariots; be prepared for that last-minute attack. Walk in and possess your inheritance! God gave it to you a long time ago.