Joshua 9:5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. 6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, we be come from a far country: now therefore make you a league with us.
Whenever an appeal is made on a corporate level, you can give to ADRA, your local church, and to any person that is found to be genuinely in need, for this is the law and the prophets. However, if you were to get a call from an unknown person out of the blue who says that they and their families are suffering as the result of some natural disaster, that’s a call to prayer. The appeal shouldn’t be discredited outright, but take it to God in prayer, so that errors in judgement could be avoided.
This is what Joshua and the Hebrews failed to do for they took the story of those scammers at face value, and because it was a good thing to do, they failed to pray and ask God. Here is where the Christian might be vulnerable, because, the notion that you do not have to pray about something that is good is false. When in proverbs chapter 3, it says in all thy ways acknowledge Him, it means exactly that, in all thy ways.
We should not only take the suspect things, but also those circumstances that seem kosher to your conscience, for God can see things up ahead that we may not see, and thus, He is able to guide us with wisdom, understanding and prudence…. Joshua 9: 3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, 4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up.
Joshua 9:8 And they said unto Joshua, we are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, who are you? and from whence come you?
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!