March 17 - Choose Your Friends Wisely.

Proverbs 22:24-25
“Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.”

How we choose our friends impacts every aspect of our lives because the type of friends we make are a result of our choices. 

Job’s friends could have encouraged him instead of questioning his integrity.
Jonathan was faithful to David even when his father, Saul, sought to kill him.

These and many other examples of how friendships can mold us or break us lie within the pages of Scripture. Friendship is a gift from God when we allow Him to place within our lives the people that He knows we need.

1 Samuel 23:16
“And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.”

Are the friends you have sharpening or dulling your walk with the Lord?

Proverbs 27:17
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

Wise To Evaluate
2 Samuel 13:3
“But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.”

Amnon shared His heart with Jonadab, telling him the truth about his feelings for Tamar, his brother’s wife. His so called friend advised him to follow his heart and sin instead of giving him godly counsel. Amnon neglected to evaluate the advice he received and compare it to what God’s said.

Wise To Separate 
2 Corinthians 6:14,17
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”

Sometimes the best thing we can do is to separate ourselves from people. We can love them without allowing our lives to be in fellowship with unrighteousness. It is rarely easy to do so, however God promises to bless our efforts when we do.

Proverbs 13:20
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

If God has blessed by giving you iron sharpening friends, thank Him while asking Him to continue to strengthen those relationships. 

If God has revealed to you some changes you need to make, have the faith to trust Him to do what He knows is best.

Regardless of your situation today, choose your friends wisely.


Bible Reading:
Numbers 35-36  |  Mark 3  |  Proverbs 17