FBC Daily Devotional – February 18, 2022

The Importance of the Lord’s Day Gathering

Well, a good Friday morning to you. So here we are, end of another week, work week already, and looking forward to the weekend. I trust you are, this coming Lord's Day, gathering together with God's people as I hope it's a highlight of your week.

It's something that you always look forward to, even as you come to the end of the work week, look forward to the weekend. I'm sure there are things on Saturdays that you like to do, some things you have to get done.

But I hope that Sunday, the Lord's Day, and the gathering with God's people, and the worshiping of God, is something you really consider a highlight of your week, and something you really look forward to.

Jehoshaphat’s Spiritual Commitment and Practical Preparation

Well, today in our Bible reading plan, we're in 2 Chronicles 17 and 18, as well as a couple verses in Proverbs, and I just want to point out something in the life of a very practical nature, in the life of Jehoshaphat, that speaks to us and challenges us on a spiritual level.

So in chapter 17 about Jehoshaphat, we read that it says the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of David. He did not seek the Baals, but he sought the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not according to the acts of Israel.

All right, so apparently, seemingly, Jehoshaphat made the commitment in his heart, I'm going to seek after the Lord, and I'm going to obey his word. I'm not going to worship idols, and all that kind of stuff, and therefore, Jehoshaphat could conclude, I'm just going to depend upon God to protect me, and bless me, and not have to deal with any problems with my kingdom.

In fact, verse 5 says that therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand.

So,.

Would it be justifiable for Jehoshaphat to say, since I'm given my life to obey God's word, and reject all of the idols of those who've gone before me, that I can just depend upon God to protect me, and I can let go and let God, if you will.

Would that be justifiable? I don't think so. I don't think so, and neither did Jehoshaphat. Because, if you look at a couple of verses earlier, as chapter 17 begins, and it talks about the beginning of Jehoshaphat's reign,.

It says,.

Jehoshaphat reigned in the son of his father, instead of his father Asa, and he strengthened himself against Israel. Remember, that's civil war going on. He strengthened himself against Israel. He strengthened himself against Israel, and he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa, his father, had taken.

All right, so you see what he's doing. He is strengthening himself by placing troops in fortified cities, setting garrisons in Judah, in the land of Judah, and in cities of Ephraim. So, he is actively doing everything he can to protect himself, to protect his kingdom.

Exercising Ourselves Unto Godliness

So,.

Like Jehoshaphat, I think, let's apply this. Let's understand this principle. Like Jehoshaphat, you and I also need to do everything we can to strengthen ourselves against the enemy, against the foe. It is not spiritual to say, well, you know, I'm just depending on the Lord to protect me.

I'm just... and then do nothing, really, to strengthen myself spiritually. You know, the Apostle Paul told Timothy, he said to him, exercise yourself unto godliness. Take pains to protect yourself spiritually, if you will.

Exercise yourself to godliness. You and I, we need to place forces and set garrisons in our lives that will protect those vulnerable areas in our lives. We all have weaknesses and besetting sins and areas where we are some more tempted in some areas than others are in areas.

So, where are those areas in your life? Where are those weak spots? Where are those vulnerable places? Those are the places where you and I need to place forces and set garrisons. And, you know, God will bless that.

And I think it's important for us to realize that we can't just assume that, well, since I'm a Christian and, you know, I read my Bible, you know, God's gonna keep me from all sin, all temptation. I'm just gonna let go and let God... no, exercise yourself unto godliness.

Wisdom in Avoiding Petty Quarrels

All right. Now, I don't often do this, but I do want to go to Proverbs because there's a very important verse in Proverbs 20, verse 3. It's in our reading today. But I think some of us, more than others, need to grasp and understand.

Here's what the verse says. It is honorable for a man to stop striving since any fool can start a quarrel. Have you ever known anybody, have you ever known somebody who just liked to argue for the sake of argument?

I mean, and they would take an opposite side of what they really believe just because they like to argue, just because they like to get into a fight. That is not a virtue. That's a vice. And that's folly.

That's foolishness. The fool starts the quarrel. It's a wise man that knows what is worth fighting over. It's a wise man that realizes not every, not everything you disagree about rises to the level of fighting over, of quarreling over.

An honorable man will keep himself aloof from petty quarreling.

And.

You know, are there things that we need to quarrel over and fight over? Yeah, there absolutely are. There are some non-negotiables. Absolutely, unquestionably. But it's wisdom to know what those things are and what can just be let go, what we can just gloss over and keep quiet about.

Pray for God to give you wisdom and to understand what those areas would be. So Father, we are challenged in a couple different passages today. One of them is we need to take responsibility to protect ourselves spiritually and to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ, to grow in godliness.

And the other is that we need wisdom. We need to know when to back off and we need to know what's worth fighting over and is a battle, is a hill to die on, if you will. And Father, give us that wisdom, we pray.

So bless us in the remainder of this day and as we look forward to the weekend, as we gather with God's people, give us a richly rewarding blessing throughout this weekend, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Weekend Schedule and Closing Blessing

All right. Well, I hope you have a good rest of your Friday, a wonderful weekend. And if you can make it to God's house on this Lord's Day, join us for Sunday Bible study at 930 and the morning worship service at 1030 and Lord willing, we'll be having our annual meeting of our church Sunday afternoon.

So looking forward to that. Have a good day. God bless.