The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Joshua 9:8-14, “But they said to Joshua, ‘We are your servants.’ Then Joshua said to them, ‘Who

are you, and where do you come from?’

9 And they said to him, ‘Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of

the LORD your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt,

10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king

of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth.’

11 “So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions in

your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; now

then, make a covenant with us.”‘

12 “This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that

we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled.

13 “And these wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our

clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey.”

14 So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the

LORD.”

People who are honest are prone to believe that everything they hear, especially when it comes from people they know. Joshua had always sought the LORD and listened to His instructions. He and his people had been very successful in defeating those who dwelled in land given to Israel. But now, this group of people undertook a different tactic with Israel and Israel could have lost everything they had gained.

“Who are you and from where have you come?” Joshua asked. The strangers spun a good tale and Israel swallowed it “hook, line, and sinker.” How could Israel have been so victorious in previous battles and now lose in this one? The answer lies in the final nine words of our Scripture:

Israel “…did not ask for the counsel of the LORD.”

From the time of Moses death, Joshua had been in charge of leading Israel. They had numerous victories, and they had always sought the counsel of the LORD beforehand. But these foreign people caught them off guard, and they neglected to seek the LORD’s counsel. Ever have that happen to you? Boy, I sure have! What’s the matter with us, anyway? Well, we sometimes get in a hurry and forget. Also, we become so accustomed to doing some things –and they turn out alright, so we start forgetting to seek the LORD’s counsel.

We live in serious and dangerous times. We cannot afford to undertake anything on our own. We don’t always see the danger that lies in the bushes. When we stay focused on the LORD and are continuously seeking His counsel, we don’t have to live in fear. We must, however, be committed to Him and “stay in close touch.”

No, I don’t believe everything I hear. I don’t even believe everything I see. But, I have learned to trust the LORD Jesus Christ, and He has been faithful to care for me. Give Him opportunity in your life, and remember the words of the old hymn –

There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our souls’ diseases:
No, not one! no, not one!

Jesus knows all about our struggles;
He will guide ’til the day is done:
There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”