Show Me Your Friends & I Will Show You Your Future

Today’s Bible readings are Numbers 22:21-23:30, Luke 1:57-80, Psalm 58:1-11, & Proverbs 11:12-13

Numbers 25:1-3

While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. ² These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. ³ In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.

I had a friend who use to tell me, “If you show me your friends I will show you your future.  I always wondered how true that statement really was until I started to see it in work.

I was very fortunate in the beginning of my walk with God. God surrounded me with God-loving & God-honoring people. It wasn’t that I didn’t have any old friends; I had plenty, but they were doing the things that I didn’t want to do anymore. I made a decision to only spend quality & quantities of time with people who had the kind of life that I desired to have. I never did question my friend’s statement about friends & our future. I thank God that I chose to follow his advice. I have seen many other people over the years try it the other way. It has NEVER worked.

Israel was no exception to this rule. God warned them about having too deep of relationships with these outsiders. It wasn’t that God didn’t want Israel to have friends, but rather, He knew where these relationships would end up taken His people. God knew that they were weak & still very impressionable. He was trying to protect them.

We see that they chose to go their own way for a season of pleasure but the result was devastating. It also proved that God was right & they were wrong. This is a lesson that I pray we all come to learn—God is always right. I have come to be alright with saying that & knowing that.

Growing up, there was this stage that I went through where I wanted to prove my parents wrong. I did exactly the opposite of what they asked of me because I wanted to show them that I knew better than them. I wanted to prove to them that I could do it if they would just let me. I have to admit, I was wrong. I created a lot of misery in my life that could have been avoided.

It was part of being a child. I wanted to be in charge of me. But I like what Paul said:

1 Corinthians 13:11

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

As I have matured & grown over the years, I have also come to realize the wisdom in many of the things that my parents taught me. Likewise, as I have grown as a Christian I have come to accept the wisdom in the things that God says also. I no longer feel the need to fight against this type of principals. I can trust in them. I can surrender to them.

I want to leave you with some very good “Heavenly Father” wisdom.

1.      Don’t make friends with an angry man lest you learn his ways & endanger your soul.

2.      Don’t build a relationship with someone of the opposite sex that doesn’t love Jesus more than they love you.

3.      What & who you unite yourself to will determine the direction you go in life.

4.      You can’t fly like an eagle if you hang around a bunch of turkeys.

5.      Relationships matter. Choose the right ones & invest in them.

Pastor Richard Schlotter