Counsel at the mouth of the LORD

Joshua 9 finds the Israelites having recently demolished Jericho and Ai. The Gibeonites, fearing they'll be next, devise a scheme to trick the Israelites into entering a peace treaty. The scheme works, and, as a result, the Gibeonites live amongst the Israelites, creating a constant source of moral corruption.

But a really fascinating aspect of the story appears in verse 14, when the narrator describes why the Israelites fall for the Gibeonites' deception (Joshua 9:14, KJV),

The [Israelites] ... asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

How often do we fall into trouble -- perhaps even moral corruption -- by failing to consult God? The message is clear and simple, and it give us a roadmap for avoiding such trouble. Pray without ceasing!

Strive to enter in at the strait gate

In Luke 13:24 (KJV), Jesus says,

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

This does (and should) sound scary. Is he saying that many will seek salvation, but still won't be able to achieve it? And if so, how do we go about achieving salvation?

Rewinding back a few verses in the same chapter, we see that the path to salvation really isn't a mystery. In verses 1-5, Jesus recounts two recent catastrophes that resulted in the deaths of many people. Jesus stresses that their deaths were not punishment for their sins. But Jesus does caution that (verse 5, KJV)

Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

And that's it! God's commands to us are not meant to be mysterious or hard to understand. Simply put, we must repent our sins, and accept that Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of those sins.