...asked not counsel of the Lord

Life, of course, is not always easy. Jesus acknowledges as much when he says (Matthew 6:34, KJV),

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

But we don't have to confront those daily troubles alone. God not only offers his help, he requires that we seek his help.

Turning to Chapter 9 of Joshua, we find the Israelites entering into an ill-advised treaty with the Gibeonites. God already has forbidden such treaties, but the Gibeonites present a convincing, albeit deceptive, case for establishing a peace treaty.

When confronted with a morally ambiguous situation, the Israelites should have consulted God. They didn't have to make that decision on their own. Instead (Joshua 9:14, KJV),

[They] asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

And, ultimately, the Israelites' habit of acquiescing to their neighbors -- against God's explicit orders -- resulted in spiritual rot and the eventual demise of the Israelite kingdom.

Let us not follow that path. Whatever difficult scenarios we encounter, let us "ask counsel at the mouth of the LORD." We can do so through never-ceasing prayer!