SILENCE DOES NOT ALWAYS CONSTITUTE APPROVAL
SEPTEMBER 30, 2026
TEXT: JOSHUA 9:14–18
KEY VERSE: “And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.” — VERSE 14
Man, by nature, has the tendency to grow overly complacent and overcomfortable as he continues to deal with a particular individual or set of individuals.
Today’s teaching shall border on how believers tend to take God for granted, especially when they believe they are now very close to Him and can act as they like.
After God had assisted Joshua and his men in conquering mega cities like Jericho and Ai, the Gibeonites came to make a covenant with Israel so that they would not be killed. They came with old bottles of wine, stale bread, and torn garments, thereby painting a scenario of them coming from a far city. Unfortunately, after their seemingly touching story, Joshua and his people signed a peace treaty with them, thereby making it almost impossible for Israel to attack or kill them in the future. Three days later, they got to know that the Gibeonites were very close, and they could do nothing again. They simply turned them into woodcutters and water fetchers.
The above could have been avoided if only Joshua had consulted God. The Israelites probably felt that they had already known God, and since God was saying nothing ahead of the occurrence, it probably meant God had no objections to the act. It was quite unfortunate that a man who practically depended on God for every single step of his life could suddenly become so spiritually nonchalant as to even take decisions without consulting God.
As believers, we must understand that God is totally interested in all that pertains to our lives, including even trivial details and facts. We must trust Him completely and not lean on our own wisdom (Proverbs 3:5–7).
As believers, we must understand that yesterday’s guidance may not work effectively for the reality of today. You might have succeeded in a given task via a set of divine instructions. However, the same instruction may not be sufficient to govern the realities of today. Every new situation requires new godly wisdom (Proverbs 16:9). The fact that something appears right and impeccable to us does not make it pure and acceptable unto God. What we need is God’s directives, and not merely the absence of opposition. Our life should revolve around “LORD, what do You want me to do?” and not “If nobody stops me, I will proceed” (Psalm 37:3).
In conclusion, we should understand that circumstances should never serve as a substitute for God’s Word and wisdom (Isaiah 8:20).
SEARCHLIGHT: It is dangerous to suddenly think you no longer need God’s guidance, especially at a time when it seems you have everything figured out already.
PRAYER: O GOD, help me to lean on You continually for guidance and direction, in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
BIBLE READING: Proverbs 22–24, Matthew 28
PASTOR MICHAEL OMOLE
