CAC Living Water Daily Devotional | Tuesday, February 1, 2022 | Watch Your Allies
Topic: Watch Your Allies
Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2022 [Happy New Month]
Read: 2 Chronicles 20:31-37
2 Chronicles 20:31-37 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.
Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:
And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.
Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
MEMORISE: But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish (2 Chronicles 20:37)
EXPOSITION
‘He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed’ (Prov. 13:20). God is so much concerned with the type of people His children associate with, because evil company destroys good character (1 Cor. 15:33). Many people are in police custody today, not because they are bad, but because of the kinds of people they mingle with. Who is your friend? You should be selective in the friends you keep. King Jehoshaphat, though righteous on the throne, failed in picking his friends. As a child of God, you must be careful in choosing whom you relate with. Not everybody in church can be your prayer partner. It is suicidal to share your problem with everyone who comes your way, just like that.
The alliance between Jehoshaphat and Ahab nearly led to the former being killed in the war, but for God’s mercy that saved him, probably because he was good (2 Chro. 18:1; 19:3). As if that was not enough, he made the same mistake again, entering into business venture with the godless King Ahaziah. That drew God’s ire on the alliance, destroying their works. It is stupidity to be falling into the same mistake repeatedly.
As a child of God, never you choose friends from among the godless. Can light and darkness be friends? No, of course (2 Cor. 6:14-18). It is risky to enter into any alliance, business, spiritual, etc., with an unbeliever. It is most likely to hit some rocks, given the fact of your religious and spiritual incompatibility, except the believer is willing to compromise. In your dealings, make sure the one you plan dealing with is truly a child of God, not just a church attendee. And in marriage, nothing (NOTHING!) should make you enter into any marriage alliance with an unbeliever. Those who do that regret in the end, whether or not they are trying hard to hide it from the world.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Lord, I refuse to befriend Your enemies; help me, in Jesus’ name.
2. Lord, deliver me from the tendency to love what You hate.
3. Pray for CAC Akinyele Region, our father in the Lord, the Superintendent, and its officers at the various levels, as led by the Spirit of God.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Exodus 39 – 40
Author: Christ Apostolic Church [Worldwide]