April 1

In Joshua 9, the Israelites make a critical mistake—they rely on their own wisdom instead of seeking God’s guidance. The Gibeonites deceive them into making a peace treaty by pretending to be from a distant land. Joshua and the leaders fail to "inquire of the Lord" (Joshua 9:14), and as a result, they are tricked into an alliance that God never intended.  

This serves as a reminder that human wisdom is not enough; we need God’s direction in every decision. As the Israelites continue conquering the land in Joshua 10-13, God fights for them, proving that when they trust Him fully, victory is certain. The lesson is clear—relying on God leads to success, but relying on ourselves leads to trouble.  

In Luke 16, Jesus tells the parable of the dishonest manager, a man who cleverly secures his future using worldly wealth. Jesus then makes a striking statement:  

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." (Luke 16:10)  

Jesus warns against putting our trust in money or worldly success, reminding us that we cannot serve both God and money (Luke 16:13). Just as Joshua learned the hard way to seek God’s wisdom, we are called to put our trust in eternal things rather than temporary riches or personal strategies.  

The Israelites' mistake with the Gibeonites and Jesus' warning about money both teach us the same truth:  our own understanding will fail us, but God’s wisdom never will. Whether in decision-making, financial matters, or daily life, we must turn to God first.  

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