Pressing Pause to Pray

Welcome to today's Word of Encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

The devotional writer for today is James Banks, and the reading is titled, Pressing Paws to Pray. The fire hydrant gushed into the street and I saw my opportunity. Several cars had splashed through before me and I thought, what a great way to get a free wash. My car hadn't been cleaned for a month and the dust was thick, so I fired it up and headed into the deluge.

Crack! It happened so fast. The sun had already beaten down on my black car that morning, heating its glass and interior, but the water from the hydrant was frigid. As soon as the cold gush hit the hot windshield, a crack struck like lightning from top to bottom.

My free car wash ended up costing me plenty. If I had only pressed pause beforehand to think or even to pray. Ever have a moment like that? The people of Israel did, under far weightier circumstances. God had promised to help them drive out other nations as they entered the land he'd given them so that they wouldn't be tempted by false gods.

But one of the nations saw Israel's victories and used stale bread to trick them into believing they lived far away. Joshua chapter 9 verses 14 through 15 says, The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace, unknowingly circumventing God's instructions. When we make prayer a first resort instead of a last, we invite God's direction, wisdom, and blessing.

May he help us remember to press pause today. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading comes to us from Joshua chapter 9 verses 7 through 15. The Israelites said to the Hivites, But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you? We are your servants, they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, Who are you and where do you come from? They answered, Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God.

For we have heard reports of him, all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, Sihon, king of Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtoreth. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, Take provisions for your journey, go and meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, make a treaty with us. This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you, but now see how dry and moldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are, and our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey. 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. Let's pray. Thank you, Father, for giving wisdom generously and without finding fault to those who ask you for it. Would you please help us to press pause more frequently and come to you, and to lean not on our own understanding, but in all of our ways to acknowledge you. Thank you, Lord, for the great gift of prayer. And it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Wes Ward, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.