How tempting is this for Christian leaders today? You’ve given sermons or taught Sunday school or written articles in the past, and your Lord stood with you. You have made decisions for family, for your company, for your children, and God has blessed them. This time feels no different than then. So, without thinking much about it, you switch to autopilot, lean on your wisdom and strength, and grow more forgetful in prayer. Success is taken for granted, gratitude shrinks, presumption ascends.

They bought jeans already torn at the knees. The ambassadors from the great city left in haste to make peace with Joshua and his coming armies. But first, locals reported seeing them rummage through clothes at the local thrift store. Their pretend shabbiness served a vital purpose: survival.
Gibeon lay in the direct path of Joshua’s conquest. He, his men, and their God would be there within days. When the citizens of Gibeon heard what Israel’s God had done to Pharoah, to Jericho, and to Ai, they trembled. Though “greater than Ai,” they shuddered. Who could overcome a plague-punishing, wall-crumbling, city-engulfing Israel and her invisible God?
Their ragtag ambassadors — armed with worn-out sacks, patched sandals, tattered clothes, torn and mended wineskins, and “dry and crumbly” provisions (Joshua 9:4–5) — served as Gibeon’s salvation army. They intercepted Joshua at Gilgal saying in strained voice, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us” (Joshua 9:6). Would their lie be discovered?
“Who are you? And where do you come from?” Joshua replies.
They reiterate their deception and add more drama to their performance:
“Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold it is dry and crumbly.”
“These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst.”
“And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” (Joshua 9:12–13)
Joshua looks at the bread, the wineskins, the sandals, the garments, and decides to make a covenant with them. The text interprets that decision for us: “So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord” (Joshua 9:14).
Failure of Good Leaders
Joshua, the son of Nun, was an excellent leader. If you were to write a book on leadership, you could hardly improve upon his example.
From the start, he had large sandals to fill. Moses, the sea-splitting shepherd, the mountain-climbing mediator, the law-providing prophet, now lay dead. Millions of eyes turned Joshua’s way — eyes of a people too given to squint in deadly disapproval. Would he be able to lead them into the Promised Land? Would they be led into the Promised Land?
In the face of vast armies, fortified cities, and fatal chariots, God’s commission to Joshua required force and bravery — which his very presence supplied, if Joshua would trust him. And Joshua did. He routinely risked life and limb venturing upon God’s word. In the end, he seizes and divides the Promised Land among God’s people.
Until now, just one potential blemish stood on his resumé: an early defeat at Ai. Although the rout might have besmeared Joshua, the punishment rightfully fell to covetous Achan. But now, in giving a forbidden covenant to Israel’s enemies, a caveat must be given concerning Joshua’s leadership. Seeing the ragtag group of ambassadors before him, he made the reasonable deduction that they must have traveled a far distance. He trusted what he saw.
He did not make that mistake when overlooking the land with the spies. He trembled not at giants. But here, he believed his eyes, went with his ears, depended on his cohort of rulers who all did the same — he did not ask counsel from the Lord. The matter seemed straightforward enough; they could handle it themselves. Here, Joshua commits the common fault of many successful leaders over time: He forgets to consult his God.
Boast of Businessmen
How tempting is this for Christian leaders today?
You’ve given sermons or taught Sunday school or written articles in the past, and your Lord stood with you.
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God’s will always prevails regardless of any evil intentions. Throughout history, God’s providence has been evident in both the triumphs and the tribulations of His people. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, only to rise to power in Egypt and save many lives. In the natural world—a rise from the prison to the palace doesn’t happen. But in the supernatural there is nothing humanly possible to stop it. Similarly, the early church faced severe persecution, yet the gospel spread far and wide. God’s providence.

The recent assassination attempt on President Trump at a Pennsylvania rally has left many in shock. An innocent bystander was critically wounded, another lost their life, and the alleged shooter was also killed. As we grapple with this troubling event (and the volatile atmosphere leading up to it), it’s normal to seek answers in the realm of the natural—but understand what is happening lies in the supernatural.
Thus, those without a clear understanding of God and His living word as spoken in the Bible will be at a loss in understanding what is actually at play here. You see, it’s not in seeking answers or searching for evidence, it is focusing on the unwavering truth of God’s providence.
The Bible assures us that God’s sovereign hand is at work in every situation, both good and evil. Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will” (Matthew 10:29). If a sparrow cannot fall apart from God’s will, nor can a nation or a person. You see, this verse reminds us that nothing happens outside of God’s knowledge or control. Even the seemingly random fall of a sparrow is within His purview, and so too are the events that unfold in our lives and in our nation. More aptly seen in real time on live TV in the difference between a bullet whisking by an ear or penetrating a head.
The attempted assassination of President Trump is a very real reminder of this present darkness and how even evil and darkness cannot circumvent God’s providence.
God’s will always prevails regardless of any evil intentions. Throughout history, God’s providence has been evident in both the triumphs and the tribulations of His people. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, only to rise to power in Egypt and save many lives. In the natural world—a rise from the prison to the palace doesn’t happen. But in the supernatural there is nothing humanly possible to stop it. Similarly, the early church faced severe persecution, yet the gospel spread far and wide. God’s providence.
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Just because we believe God’s Word and pray about it doesn’t mean that we’re immediately given comprehensive understanding of Scripture. We have to adopt wise ways of approaching the text. So, to start, we should read in context. We shouldn’t forget what came before the section we’re reading.

The Bible is a big book. It can be intimidating to read, so many of us prefer reading books about the Bible. And if we do read the Bible, we can sometimes treat it like a mere instruction manual. We use it if needed, but otherwise we try to do things ourselves. It reminds me of trying to put together IKEA furniture without a manual. Unfortunately, as many of us have experienced, the instruction manual needs to be respected and read properly. Otherwise, our furniture may look disjointed in the end. Things are similar with the Bible. Failing to read it properly can lead to all kinds of trouble.
As we know of course, the Bible is much grander than any IKEA instruction manual. It’s a book with heights and depths, poetry and prose. Reading it requires even more purposefulness than reading other books. As I’ve read the Bible over the course of my life, here are a few things I’ve learned that have helped in my understanding it.
Believe. It’s important to remember that understanding the Bible requires faith. We have to believe it. Augustine challenged us, “Believe so that you may understand.” Augustine said those words because he himself never properly understood the Bible until he believed. The Bible is much like polarized lenses that fishermen use. Without polarized lenses, the water has an intense glare. But with polarized lenses, one can see into the water. The Bible requires faith for us to see its depths.
Pray and meditate. Prayer is often an afterthought, but we can’t understand anything spiritual unless God helps us and reveals it to us. We may have faith, but we still need help. We should pray that the Holy Spirit will help us understand His Word. As we pray, we remember our dependence on God for insight and wisdom. We should also take our time to meditate on God and His Word as we move through Scripture. Just like it takes time for a tree’s root system to soak up water, so our souls need time to be nourished by God’s Word.
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