Apples of Gold

One of the favorite playground games when I was growing up was Mother, May I? The class would line up on one side of the field while one person was selected to be the “Mother”. They would call each of us by name and say something like-“You may take two bunny hops and three umbrella twirls forward.” If you stepped forward in excitement without first uttering “Mother, May I?” You were sent all the way back to the starting line. Even if you remembered to ask first, the “Mother” also had the option of simply replying, “No you may not” leaving you stranded in your current position. 

In this life there are times when the next step seems to be obvious; yet it is always prudent to take the time to run it past our Father. This looks like a good plan but Father, may I? Or even better perhaps Father, Should I? Joshua and the children of Israel faced a situation like this in Joshua 9. While Israel marched across the land conquering kingdoms in their path, they came upon a band of weary travelers. They were clothed in rags, with moldy food and claimed to be from a distant land. 

Joshua was suspicious and demanded answers from them.

They answered, Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the LORD your God and of all he did in Egypt. We have also heard what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River-King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan (who lived in Ashtaroth). So our elders and all our people instructed us, Take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them, We are your servants; please make a treaty with us. This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy. These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey. So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby! Joshua 9:9-16

Likely most, if not all, of us have been taken in by the distressing story of someone who was seemingly wronged only to find out that the account shared with us was somewhat less than accurate and the apparent villain turned out to be, in reality, the hero. 

The first in court sounds right-until the cross-examination begins. Proverbs 18:17 

Joshua’s instinct to question the story of these travelers had been spot on and yet somehow he and the men of Israel fell for this cleverly planned ruse. If only they had taken the time to check with God before signing a peace treaty!

Pausing to make sure our direction is God approved before heading forward is always a good idea. If Joshua fell for it we should be well aware that we are also in danger of being misled. The best way to avoid falling for a trap is to learn how to exercise spiritual discernment. Discernment comes with a built in learning curve:

Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Hebrews 5:14

Careful and ongoing study of the Word of God is an absolute necessity for those who want to hear and know the voice of God, but study alone will not change our lives. 

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:22-25

I don’t know about you but I have a whole pile of recipes that I have cut out, printed off or copied with every intention of trying them. My pile sits mostly untouched and rarely noticed. There are quite a few that are probably very tasty but if I don’t actually make them I will never know for sure. 

When we embrace the word of God not only will our lives be changed but God actually changes the way we think.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this word but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

As we head into the busy Christmas Season let’s be sure not to forget to stop and take the time to ask: “Father, May I?”, before forging out on our own.