Asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord

Chapter 9 of Joshua finds the Israelites entering an ill-advised peace treaty with the Gibeonites. God had already warned to Israelites not to fraternize with the inhabitants of the land into which they were entering. And subsequent events in the bible demonstrate that such fraternization would come back to bite the Israelites.

So why do they do it? Partly because the Gibeonites manage to deceive the Israelites. But verse 14 (KJV) points to the real reason:

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

Consider how often we fall into trouble for the exact same reason. Tricky situations, troubling circumstances, and impending troubles all require us to make decisions. But we don't have to make those decisions alone! First, we should "ask counsel at the mouth of the the Lord" and then (spiritually) listen for a response.

This is harder than it sounds, because our sinful natures mislead us to rely on our own devices and manipulations. The key is to fully trust God. As the psalmist says to God in Psalm 36:9 (KJV),

With thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.