The Gibeonite Glitch
The Israelites are on a quest to take the Promised Land. In Joshua 8, the Israelites just defeated Ai—a victory that leads me to think about the ‘AI’ of our own time: software. I use AI daily, and for many things, it’s great. But there’s a danger in AI replacing human connection. There’s a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is just the accumulation of facts. While knowledge is the mere accumulation of facts, wisdom is the art of applying them, and God is all-knowing, and His wisdom knows no limit.
In Joshua 9, we learn that the Israelites were deceived by the Gibeonites because they didn’t consult God.
‘So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. ‘
Joshua 9:14
But they did not consult the Lord.
I don’t know how many poor choices I’ve made because I didn’t consult God. I didn’t ask God what the best path was; I just did what was fun or “felt” right. I wonder how different our lives would be if we consulted God before making choices? If we sought our generous God’s wisdom?
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
Proverbs 4:7
Joshua’s story prompts me to ask God for wisdom.
‘If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ‘
James 1:5
From my experience, I know I need to pray and fast more before big decisions. I love what Mark Twain says about decisions.
“Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions.”
A good prayer for making decisions.
Dear Heavenly Father, Psalm 32:8 tells us that you will guide us along the right path, advise us, and watch over us. Lord, is this the right path for me? What am I going to learn from going down this path?
Please advise me in every aspect of my life, your will be done. In Jesus name, Amen.