2 Chronicles 20-21, Ecclesiastes 1, Matthew 15:1-20

What God said to me – Have you ever noticed that you seem to fight the same battle over and over – face the same enemy – struggle with the same sin?  How are you to overcome and finally be victorious?  Look at the example of Jehoshaphat.  The first time he faced the king of Aram was in the battle where he was almost killed, and Ahab was killed.  He was in a place he should never have been because he followed ungodly men rather than Me.  So, he went home and purposed to follow Me, and he began to seek Me and follow Me in earnest.  The next time the king of Aram was about to attack, Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he called the people together and they fasted and prayed.  He pledged to stand with Me and trust Me no matter what – to trust Me for his deliverance and not himself or others.  Then he did what I told him to do.   That’s the key – trust and obedience.  When you face any trial – whether its persecution, illness, temptation to sin, facing an enemy – whatever it is – cry out to Me and then do what I say.  Sometimes I say to do nothing and let Me fight for you – sometimes I tell you to stand and fight – sometimes I tell you to go to others for help – whatever it is you must trust Me and obey.  “I AM” faithful.

2 Chronicles 19, Proverbs 31:10-31, Matthew 14

What God said to me – You are to be in the world but not of it and this command is for your own protection – so you can walk in a manner worthy of your calling.  It is so much easier for you to stay true to your commitment to Me and to do the right thing when you are associating with godly people with the same commitment.  Does this mean you are not to associate with unbelievers or spend time with them?  Absolutely not!  My Son, Jesus, spent most of His time in the company of “sinners”, but He was careful to keep His focus on Me and ministering when He was with them.  He was also careful to withdraw from them to spend time alone with Me, to hear from Me, and to be refreshed and strengthened.  You have the opportunity to build relationships with unbelievers in your family, in your neighborhood, at work, and socially, but stay alert and listen to My direction.  Remember you represent Me so be careful not to cross the line into coarseness or raunchiness or other ungodly behavior.  Show kindness and compassion and the joy you have in Me and you’ll be surprised at the impact you make and who I draw to you.

2 Chronicles 18, Proverbs 31:1-21, Matthew 13:31-58

What God said to me – One of the purposes of scripture is to teach you and to reveal Myself and My ways to you.  You can learn much even from the accounts about people and events in the Old Testament.  Look at the story of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and the prophet Micaiah.  Jehoshaphat went to visit his ally by marriage, Ahab, king of Israel, and Ahab asked him to join him in a war against the king of Aram.  Jehoshaphat wisely asked Ahab to inquire of Me before he committed so Ahab brought out four hundred of his prophets – note I said “his” prophets, not Mine – and they said what they thought Ahab wanted to hear and not what I had to say.  Jehoshaphat was still unsettled so he asked if there was a prophet of Mine that could speak so Ahab brought in Micaiah with the caveat that “he never prophesies anything good concerning me.”  When Micaiah came before the two kings, although he had been warned to prophesy in agreement with the other prophets, he began by stating “what My God says, I will speak.”  He ultimately prophesied about the defeat of Israel and the death of Ahab.  Unfortunately, King Jehoshaphat listened to the four hundred prophets rather than to My one true prophet and as a result he was nearly killed in the battle and Michaiah was jailed for speaking the truth.  So, what are you to learn from this account?  First of all, there are many “false” prophets in society.  Just because someone says they are a Christian or has theological degrees doesn’t mean they really know Me or My word.  There are many who speak and preach things that are not from Me but appease their listeners and deceive them into accepting sin as normal and not abhorrent to Me.  Secondly, even though Jehoshaphat sensed something was not quite right about what Ahab’s prophets said, he still went with them and almost lost his life.  You must learn to pay attention to that “tweak” in your spirit that says something is not quite right even though it may sound good, or you can’t quite pinpoint what’s not right about it.  Trust that it is My Spirt alerting you to come to Me and My word for confirmation or to stop entirely.  Last, Michaiah spoke the truth and stood for Me and suffered for it.  You may lose or damage relationships with family and friends even though you speak the truth in love.  Walking with Me is not always easy, but you must seek My approval above all else.  Ultimately you will hear Me say “well done.”