The men of Israel 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. – Joshua 9:14-15 (NIV)

This one is simple…a habit of checking with God first saves a lot of trouble.  Creating that habit is not as simple.  Joshua, a good man and leader, makes the mistake.  The other leaders in the Israelite camp made the mistake. I have made the mistake.  It is a common mistake.

My daughters come to me from time to time to see if what they want to do is okay.  There are, however, other times where they did not come to me first.  Results from these instances of self-governance varied in severity and scope, but there were always consequences.  Sometimes cause and effect levied a stiff punishment. Punishments were doled out depending on the seriousness of the infraction, but there was always a consequence.

Getting our children to understand the importance of submitting to a higher authority will take years and will test our patience. (I am sure most children see it as testing their patience)  They will go through their stages of pridefulness and self-reliance.  They will be exasperated with our lack of understanding and apparent ignorance of how special their circumstances are, but we must remain vigilant.  Over the years we can gently shift them from coming to us to approaching God.

Lord, nudge my children toward me today for guidance and direction.  Help me be a source of wisdom and good counsel when they seek it and help them seek it often.  Grant me excellence in preparing my children for a relationship with you. Amen.