(They) did not inquire of the Lord.
—Joshua 9:14
They lived just twenty-five miles down the road but lied and said they had come from a distant land and wanted to make a treaty of peace.
Joshua and his pals eyeballed their worn-out sandals, threadbare clothes, cracked wineskins, moldy bread, and took the bait.
Big mistake!
God had stabbed seven pins in the map of Canaan, marking seven nations that Israel was to destroy. “Make no treaty with them,” he had commanded (Dt 7:2).
But Joshua and his assistants “did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them” (Josh 9:14-15). The result was not pretty.
Trusting your own observation, relying on your own judgment, and making your own decisions without consulting the Lord is a big mistake.
If you are going to map your own future
be sure you do it in pencil with a big eraser.