For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
Some clever neighbors trick God's people — because they forgot to ask God first.
Today's Story
The people of a nearby city called Gibeon were scared of Israel. So they came up with a sneaky trick. They dressed in worn-out clothes, carried moldy bread and cracked wineskins, and put old, patched sandals on their feet. Then they came to Joshua and said, “We've traveled from a faraway land! Look how worn out we are. Please make a peace promise with us.”
The clothes and moldy bread LOOKED like they'd come from far away. Joshua and the leaders examined the supplies… but they forgot to do the most important thing: they did not ask God about it! So they made a peace promise with the Gibeonites.
Three days later, they found out the truth: the Gibeonites lived right nearby! They had been tricked. But Joshua had made a promise, and God's people keep their promises, even hard ones. So they kept their word and didn't harm the Gibeonites; instead the Gibeonites became helpers among them.
The big lesson? Before making decisions, ASK GOD! If Joshua had prayed and asked God first, he wouldn't have been fooled. God's wisdom is always better than what just LOOKS right to us.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- Joshua got tricked because he forgot to ask God. Why is it important to ask God before making decisions?
- The Gibeonites LOOKED truthful, but they weren't. Why can't we always trust how things look?
- Joshua kept his promise even though it was hard. Why is it important to keep our promises?