Who Are Your Friends?

 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Holy Spirit showed me something that I want to share with you. Going through the Old Testament, I had just started progressing through the book of Judges. It showed why Israel needed all those judges to guide them. Everytime a judge died, they went back to their old ways. What old ways? Forsaking God and worshiping false gods.

Judges 2:10-13 NIV

[10] After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. [11] Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. [12] They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger [13] because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 

Judges 6:1 NIV

[1] The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 

Why did they do this after all God had done for that nation? Because of who they hung out with.

[12] They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them.

All their influences were the people they allowed to stay with them after they defeated those nations. 

The book of Judges is a great cautionary tale for us on who we allow into our lives. Who we allow to become our close friends and companions. As Christians, we love everyone like Jesus did, but we don't allow just anyone into our inner circle, our closest companions and friends. 

Proverbs 12:26 NIV

[26] The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 13:20 NIV

[20] Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIV

[14] Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? [15] What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? [16] What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” [17] Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” [18] And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV

[33] Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 

I do not know who this is for. The Holy Spirit led me to write this with what He showed me in Judges. So let's choose our friends and closest companions carefully. Those we do life with and allow into our inner-most circle. Those people who are closest to us. Be careful. Be prayerful. Choose wisely. 

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post