Who is speaking into our lives today? Who or what are we continually listening to? Do they know God or just speak of themselves and the things of the world?
Our friends, the company we keep and those things we choose to allow into our lives will determine our futures.
24 DO NOT MAKE FRIENDS with a hot-tempered person,
DO NOT ASSOCIATE with one easily angered,
25 OR YOU MAY ‘LEARN’ THEIR WAYS
and GET YOURSELF ENSNARED. Proverbs 22
You may not be easily angered or quick tempered in the beginning but as you continue TO WALK WITH THEM some of their character will rub off or attach itself to you. Jesus said, ‘the scripture cannot be broken’, it will happen.
Paul expands this truth in his letter to the Corinthians ;
33 DO NOT BE MISLED(Fooled): ‘BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD CHARACTER.’ 1 Corinthians 15
Paul warned the early Church, that those they kept company with, would affect their very character and life. We may not be aware of the changes that are taking place, they may happen so slowly, but they will happen. Perhaps we need to look at those around us in our lives and ask ourselves do we want to be like them in the future?
The wisest and perhaps wealthiest king who ever lived was Solomon and the Bible tells us that God loved him;
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; 25 and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah (loved by the Lord). 2 Samuel 12
Solomon had huge Favour from the Lord in his early life.
Solomon’s wives
11 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter – Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will SURELY TURN YOUR HEARTS after their gods.’ Nevertheless, Solomon HELD FAST TO THEM IN LOVE. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, AND HIS WIVES LED HIM ASTRAY. 1 Kings 11
SOLOMON STARTED WELL BUT DIDN’T FINISH WELL, HE WAS LED ASTRAY BY THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM.
The wisest king who ever lived, wasn’t immune to the influence of those who were in his life. He held fast to them but they were not people who knew or loved the Lord God. Solomon chose his wives over the Lord and suffered for it.
In a recent blog we looked at Paul’s advice to a young Timothy in the Church at Ephesus. Paul instructed Timothy how to deal with problems in the Church;
15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 WATCH YOUR LIFE AND DOCTRINE CLOSELY. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4
Paul was telling Timothy that the spiritual life of the Church had to rise and he was the one being called to raise it. He needed to watch his life(what he did) and his doctrine(what he believed) CLOSELY. It all started with his own life.
God may well have seasons when He sifts or even shakes us free from people and things in our lives. He always works for our benefit and His plans.
God bless and keep you today.