FBC Daily Devotional – February 18, 2022

Faith Baptist Church

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Well, a good Friday morning to you. So here we are end of another week work week already and looking forward to the weekend

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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

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It's something that you always look forward to even as you come to the end of the workweek look forward to the weekend

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I'm sure there are things on Saturdays that you you like to do some things you have to get done but I hope that Sunday the

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Lord's Day and the gathering with God's people and the worshipping of God is something you really consider a highlight of your week and Something you really look forward to well today in our

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Bible reading plan we're in 2nd 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

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So in chapter 17 about Jehoshaphat We read that it says the

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Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways David he did not seek the bales

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But he sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments and not according to the acts of Israel All right.

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So apparently seemingly Jehoshaphat made the commitment in his heart. I'm gonna seek after the

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Lord and I'm gonna obey his word. I'm not gonna worship idols and all that kind of stuff and therefore

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Jehoshaphat could conclude I'm just gonna depend upon God to protect me and Bless me and not have to deal with any problems with my kingdom

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In fact verse 5 says that therefore the Lord established the kingdom in in his hand so would it be justifiable for Jehoshaphat to say since I'm Given my life to obey

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God's Word and Reject all of the idols of those who've gone before me that I can just I can just Depend upon God to protect me and I can let go and let

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God if you will Would that be justifiable? I?

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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

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It says Jehoshaphat reigned in the son of his father and instead of his father

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Asa and he strengthened himself against Israel Remember that civil war going on.

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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

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Asa his father had taken All right, so you see what he's doing he is He is strengthening himself by placing troops in fortified cities

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Setting garrisons in Jude in the land of Judah and in cities of Ephraim So he is actively doing everything he can

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To protect himself to protect his kingdom so Like Jehoshaphat.

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I think what let's let's apply this. Let's understand this this principle like Jehoshaphat You and I also need to do everything we can to strengthen ourselves

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Against the enemy against the foe it is not spiritual to say well

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You know, I'm just depending on the Lord to protect me I'm just and then do nothing really to strengthen myself spiritually

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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

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You and I we need to place forces and set garrisons in our lives that will

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That will protect those vulnerable areas in our lives. We all have weekend weaknesses and besetting sins and and Areas where we are some more tempted in some areas than others are in the area

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So so where are those areas in your life? Where are those weak spots? Where are those vulnerable places?

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those are the places where you and I need to place forces and set garrisons and You know,

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God will bless that and And I think it's important for us to realize that we can't just assume that Well, since I'm a

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Christian and you know, I read my Bible You know, God's gonna keep me from all all sin all temptation.

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I'm just gonna let go and let God know Exercise yourself unto godliness all right now

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I I don't often do this, but I do want to go to Proverbs because There is 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.

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Here's what the verse says It is honorable for a man to stop striving Since any fool can start a quarrel

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Have you ever known anybody? Have you ever known somebody who just? like to argue for the sake of argument

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I Mean and they would take an opposite side of what they really believe just because they like to argue

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Just because they like to get into a fight That is not a virtue

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That's a vice and that's folly. That's foolishness The fool starts the quarrel

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It's a wise man that knows What is worth fighting over?

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It's a wise man that realizes not every not everything you disagree about rises to the level of fighting over a bit, you know quarreling over an

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Honorable man will keep himself aloof from petty quarreling and You know

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There are there things that we need to quarrel over and fight. Yeah, they absolutely are there are some non -negotiables

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Absolutely unquestionably, but it's wisdom to know what those things are and what the what 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

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So father we are challenged in a couple different passages today One of them is we need to take responsibility to protect ourselves

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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 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

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The father give us that wisdom we pray So bless us in the remainder of this day.

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And as we look forward to the weekend as we gather with God's people Give us a richly rewarding

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Blessing throughout this weekend. We pray in Jesus name. Amen All right.

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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

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Lord's Day Join us for Sunday Bible study at 930 and the morning worship service at 1030 and Lord willing

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We'll be having our annual meeting of our church Sunday afternoon. So Looking forward to that.