Galatians 5:7-8 NLT
“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?  It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom.”

The correlation of this passage reminds me of Israel as they started into the Promised land. Joshua and the Israelites had made it through the battle of Jericho by listening intently to the instructions of God and God gave Israel the victory.

Next came Ai and Joshua sent only a portion of the army to conquer Ai, but Israel had sin in their midst. They lost the first battle at Ai and lost 36 men. After taking care of the sin and repenting to God, Israel consecrated themselves to God.

God told Joshua how to win the battle at Ai and Israel obeyed God and Israel won the second battle at Ai. Then Gibeon a foreign city in the Promised land came and lied to Joshua and the elder and told them they were from a far away country and they wanted to make a peace treaty with them not to destroy them. Joshua and the elders believed the lie and it cost the Israelites the city of Gibeon which was really close by.

Why did this happen? Joshua 9:14 says that Joshua nor the elders asked counsel from the Lord. Let me recap this; (1) Israel listened to God and obeyed and they captured Jericho. (2) Israel sinned before God and it cost them the first battle at Ai and 36 men. (3) Israel listened to God and won the second battle at Ai and conquered the city. (4) Israel believed a lie from the Gibeonites and lost that city forever, they were never allowed to take Gibeon.

The pattern is, believe God, trust and obey God and things go great. Or sin and listen to the lies and deception that satan tells through people and lose.

Prayer:
Father, give me discernment that I will know the Spirit of truth and when Satan feeds me a lie.