Joshua is one of the strongest warriors in the Bible. But even strong warriors can fail sometimes. And that’s exactly what happened in Joshua 9. The nation under Joshua’s leadership saw great success and victory as they conquered Jericho and then Ai. After their success at Ai, they dealt with a problem and quickly resolved it because Joshua listened to the Lord. Joshua knew that God was in control and that he must lead by obedience to God’s Word. But he failed in chapter 9 when he was duped by a group of people who had come in deception to save their own skin. Everything about this encounter seemed real and genuine but in reality, it should have raised some red flags. Our verse tells us that Joshua and his men examined their food, but failed to consult the Lord. And this mistake cost them greatly.
Here's the thing… Jesus said that deception would be abundant in the last days (Matthew 24:5). And no doubt, Jesus’ words are coming true right now. The signs all point to a day of urgency. Christians who bury their heads in the sand and refuse to believe that these days are evil are ignorant. All the things going on in the Middle East should awaken us to the day we’re living in. And one of those signs is the deception all around us. The deception is not just from secular media; it’s found its way into the church as well. There are many pastors, teachers, and leaders who are outright deceiving the people of God. And multitudes are being duped.
Deception comes in all forms… it plays on people’s sympathy, brings us to a place of empathy, and pulls at the heartstrings. It seems good. It looks right. It sounds authentic. It comes in beautiful packages tied with a bow. But inside, it’s deceptive and not from the Lord. And embracing it can lead to abandonment from the Lord. It opens the door for the enemy to have his way. In this day of great technology (and the age of AI), we must be VERY careful.
In our previous devotion, I talked about how the church needs fired-up Christians. And when the Word of God and the Holy Spirit come together, it creates a fire. The filling of the Spirit does not come from spiritual gifts like many believe… it comes from obedience to the Word of God. And when we’re walking in the fullness of the Spirit, He puts a check in our spirit when something is amiss. We need that check to discern truth from error. And when we have that check, we need to consult the Lord. Failing to consult the Lord never has good outcomes when it comes to deception. Let’s be wary. Let’s keep our eyes open. Let’s stand our guard when something doesn’t seem right. Let’s not fall into deception.