Good evening, everyone!
Today I read 2 Chronicles 18-20.
In today's reading, Jehosaphat, king of Judah, made several alliances with the kings of Israel.
First, he allied himself by marriage with King Ahab. When it came time to go to war, Ahab asked for Jehosaphat's help. He agreed, but all of Ahab's prophets were false, saying only what the king wanted to hear.
So Jehosaphat insisted that a true prophet of God be brought to tell the truth.
The prophet did not prophesy in the king's favor, so Ahab sent him away and the kings went to battle.
Jehosophat was almost attacked, but he cried out to God and God saved him. Ahab was killed, as the Lord's prophet had predicted.
Jehosaphat went home instituted reforms in the judges, reminding them that they served God, and that He saw everything they did.
Soon after, Judah was invaded, and Jehosophat sought God and his enemies destroyed themselves.
Later, however, Jehosophat allied himself with Ahaziah, the new king of Israel in order to make new ships to go to Tarshish.
This alliance, however, displeased God and the ships broke apart.
Remember, at this time, most of the kings of Judah did what was right in God's eyes, and most of the kings of Israel were serving false gods.
This reading was a good reminder for me today. It's important to go to all nations and teach them about God. However, it's important to be careful who your close friends are. It's important not to ally ourselves with people who don't serve God, because He will not bless someone who is doing evil; also, people influence each other, and it's possible that ungodly people will influence us to act like them if we do not spend enough time with people who fear and serve God.
It was a good reminder to be careful of who we, as God's people, ally ourselves with.
How do your best friends behave? Do they lift you up or tear you down? Pray with and for you? Encourage you in God's Word? Do they incite you to do evil?
If they don't ally with you in accordance with God's Word and His laws, but instead try to get you to do evil, be careful there. Continue praying for them, of course, but be sure to surround yourself with people who do encourage you to follow God's Word.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read 2 Chronicles 21-24.
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