Within these chapters, we see the children of Israel experience great highs and great lows: the victory at Jericho and the defeat at Ai. We also see what happens when we don’t “ask counsel of the Lord,” but instead lean on our own wisdom and understanding, as Pastor Brian finishes out the night by recounting the story of the Gibeonites’ deception. We, as God’s people, need to pray about everything and never assume that we can make right decisions on our own.