How to Get Taken In

How to Get Taken In
JOSHUA 9: 1-21

I have known people who seem to consult God about every detail of their lives, from what to have for dinner to what courses to take next quarter, what college to attend, where to buy a house, or whom to marry. To be honest, I consulted God about the last one myself, but I suspect that usually God is inclined to reply, “Don’t ask me; you are going to have to live with her.” God is passionately interested in those details of our lives as I am passionately interested in those details of my sons’ lives, but that doesn’t mean I want to decide on the answers for them. Because God is a loving Father, I assume he takes the same attitude. God wants us to make decisions for our lives. But there are occasions when it would be wise to consult God, as there are occasions when a son might be wise to consult his mother or father (I don’t remember my sons ever doing so, but if they read this, they will doubtless e-mail me to say, “What about x and y and z?”). So it becomes a judgment call to perceive when one of those occasions comes. (Of course God sometimes offers us unsolicited advice—at least, God does so to me; and I am sure my sons will tell me I have done so. But that’s another story.)...