"So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord."  

Joshua 9:14 (NLT)

When Israel entered the Promised Land, under the leadership of Joshua, they were not to make pace with any of the inhabitants of the Land. But, the fame of Israel began to quickly spread, and one of the people groups of the Land called the Gibeonites, knowing they had no chance militarily against Israel, came up with a plot to trick them into a peace agreement. The Gibeonites pretended to be from far off, and persuaded the people of Israel to come into an alliance with them. The Children of Israel never consulted God about the agreement, they relied on their own wisdom and understanding, and though they entered into an agreement under false pretense, they were still bound by it.

We learn a valuable lesson from studying Israel's mistake. No matter how well you think you understand a situation, seek The Lord's guidance at ALL time! Watchman Nee wrote, "How true it is that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit intellect not only is undependable but also extremely dangerous, because it often confuses the issue of right and wrong." Regardless of how knowledgeable we may be about something, we should never depend on our own understanding; we should always seek The Lord! We should never assume we know best, but instead we should humble ourselves, seeking The Lord's guidance and wisdom. If we will seek God's guidance and wisdom, we will find it. God is always desiring, and willing, to lead His children into all truth!

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!" Proverbs 3:5-7 (MSG)