In the book of Joshua, chapter 9, is the story of Joshua and the Gibeonites.  The story goes like this.  The children of Israel had finally entered the land of Canaan after wandering through the wilderness for 40 years learning to trust in God.  In a mighty display of power, God dried up the flooding Jordan river allowing his people to cross it and then gave them victory over the cities of Jericho and Ai.  The Canaanites were all afraid of Israel. In Exodus 34:15, God had told Israel to “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.”  “They will be a snare to you (Deuteronomy 7:6).”  God knew how quickly they word forget Him and worship and serve gods made of “ . . . only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands (2 Kings 19:18).” The Gibeonites were among those who knew that “. . . God had commanded his servant Moses to give [Israel] the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants . . . (v24)” so they came up with a plan.  They sent a delegation to the Israelites while carrying old moldy bread and wearing worn-out clothing.  The Israelites even suspected the ruse and said in verse 7, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?”  However, the Gibeonites were somehow able to give an explanation that the Israelites accepted.  But then, here is the whole point of the story.  In verse 14 it says, “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.  Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.”

There’s a saying that I come across every once in a while that says “as long as there are tests, there will be prayer in school.”  I can agree with this.  I had two exams today and I read the passage from Joshua in between the two and it made me think.  Did I stop to inquire of the Lord?  Did I seek his help?  Carrying that further I can ask, do I inquire of the Lord in everything I do?  Psalm 4:4-6 says:

“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
His ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
He says to himself, ‘Nothing will ever shake me.’
He swears, ‘No one will ever do me harm.’”

Proverbs 3:5,6 says what to do about that:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

We are to lean on God’s understanding, not our own.

Now, I’m not saying that if I remember to stop and pray before my test that God is going to automatically help me ace my test and that if I forget to pray I’m going to fail my test.  He’s not a cosmic vending machine.  But, when I choose to pray, it says something about the posture of my heart.  I pray not only to ask for help, but to give glory to the one who is worthy of all glory.  I pray because my heart is in continual adoration of God and to remind myself that I am nothing without Him.  I need to constantly remember when all around me is falling in, to reach out and inquire of the Lord, and I need to constantly remember when blessings abound, to inquire of the Lord.  For when I cease to do so, I am no longer in relationship with my God and my Savior.  I cannot ever be tempted to trust in my own strength and power.

So back to my exam illustration, I do not know how my grade is impacted by choosing to pray or not to pray, but I do know that when my heart is directed towards God and my trust is placed in Him that he will take care of everything I need.  If he has a plan for me that requires me to obtain a minimum gpa then he will help me accomplish that goal.  The journey may not go exactly as I plan, but that doesn’t mean that God is not taking care of me.  God might have a detour or some stops along the way, but I can be confident that He is always with me.