There was a time when the Jews had orders to attack neighboring countries and take their land. The Gibeonites heard of how the Jews had been creaming anyone the Jews fought with. So, the Gibeonites set up a trick to get the Jews to make a covenant of peace with them, so the Jews could not fight them.
They sent ambassadors who looked like they were from very far away so it would seem like they were not from any neighbor country that God had ordered the Jews to take for land.
The Gibeonite fake ambassadors had rigged their outward evidence that was very convincing, and the Jews did not make sure with God.
So much for going by "evidence". Jesus says, "'Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.'" (John 7:24)
"but they did not ask counsel of the LORD," we have in Joshua 9:14.
From this I see how our Father desires for us to always make sure with Him, about if we trust someone, and how. This means God does want us to make sure with Him about who we marry, for one example, so we do not get into what people have gotten themselves into.
God wants to share with us in everything
But ones treat Him like He is distant and impersonal. And so they say we need to think for ourselves and trust God only when we get stuck. But I now understand that You desire to share with us in all things of our lives and personally guide us, all the time so we sharing with You in Your love (Romans 5:5) so we are first enjoying You. But, of course, there is our need or correction; so there is not always enjoying!
We need to seek You for Your correction which does grieve our selfish nature > but then we have Your "peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Hebrews 12:7-11) which we have only in personal sharing with You, while we obey how You please to care for us and share with us
