Be Careful About Bad Company
Today’s Reading – 2 Kings 9 & 10
In these two chapters of Scripture we see the final destruction of all that remained of King Ahab’s family. God had told Ahab that because of all his wickedness, that God would judge, not only him, but his family. Remember Ahab had married Jezebel, the daughter of a heathen king; and perhaps was the most wicked woman recorded in all of Scripture. Together, Ahab and Jezebel had slaughtered many of the prophets of God. These were not God’s people. Ahab’s family reaped here in chapters 9 & 10 what they had sowed throughout their reign in the kingdom.
However, I want to bring your attention some other folks that were affected by this judgment. King Ahaziah from Judah, who was the grandson of King Jehosaphat , was also killed along with the King of Israel. The Scripture tells us that Ahaziah was also a wicked king as was his father, Jehoram. However, the grandfather King Jehosaphat was a good and godly man. So how did this good king’s family get mixed up with this bad king from Israel? The answer is this: though King Jehosaphat from Judah was a man that wanted to do the right thing, he had no problem fellowshipping with King Ahab from Israel, who clearly was a wicked man. This lack of separation destroyed his sons, as they became attracted to the wicked king’s ways (and his daughters).
The people of God need to be very careful about who they close to:
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, (2 Corinthians 6:14 & 17)
The Bible is clear that we should stay clear of ungodly people. We are to love them; we are to pray for them; we are to feed them if they need help; but we are not to get close to them, and we are not supposed to let their counsel influence us. It is also a good policy to steer clear from professing Christians who are trying to influence you away from the will and word of God. Be careful!! Your children’s and your grandchildren’s futures are at stake.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
Hey everybody; I visited Pastor Rick’s church in South Toms River last night. I would ask you to please pray for their needs and for souls to be saved in that area. Pastor Rick preached a very inspiring portion of scripture which can be found in Phiippians 2: 12-16. I Love when the man a God preaches and all I hear in my mind is other scripture to help validate the scripture being preached. In verse 12 after a little histry we focused on the word “obeyed.” With 2 contrasts here: obeying in the presence and obeying in the absence. As for me I do very little of both, sometimes just enough to get by. As I read this the verse God’s word is the same yesterday, today and forever flooded my mind saying people from yesterday, today and forever should be able to see that you are the kind of man who is all about obeying God in church and out of church – a truth I’m sure if we are honest we all fall short; I know I do. Verse 13: the words “to will” and “to do” is what we focused on next; tying it into working out your own salvation in v12. The verse; Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against they flooded my mind as Pastor Rick preached. You know for me it takes work to read the bible because I tend to focus on the littlest of things, how the littlest of things steers such a large ship. After reading, chewing, meditating, studying, speaking and applying God’s word I fulfill to will and to do for His good pleasure working out my own salvation with fear and trembling; why because I know just how wicked my flesh is but I also know the truth of God’s word; that often times makes me fearfull cause I know God just saw what I just did. I love the next verse 14. After digging deep into my heart God reminds me that I am weak and that my flesh is strong. He reminds me of my humanity. He gives me a command to obey. He wills my mind to look into my life and he tells me not to do 2 things and if I choose to not do these two things in verse 15-16 He tells me what my reward will be. Two little commandments and such a great reward. How many times have I failed to receive that reward because I couldn’t stop my tongue. Help me Father to be slow to speak, swift to hear!!! Thanks for letting me share Pastor Rick’s message. If you have the time on Thursday night I would encourage you to visit his church. They are a great bunch of people and God definately has his hand upon them.
Thanks Gary
I think it’s not only important to have godly friends but to be a godly friend. Johnathan and David are such a great example of what real friendship is!
Pastor- it never fails, you always develop such great thoughts from the scripture. I know myself, sometimes I get ‘lost’ in OT passages, but through this site and reading your thoughts on it- it becomes so much easier to apply what I read. Sometimes as I read the assigned chapters, I try and speculate what you will choose to focus on for your devotional. (Most times I’m wrong, but its fun trying.) This site has really been such a blessing and I thank you for your time doing it. We can now benefit from your preaching and teaching 7 days a week!
To Gary- your sleep problems turn out to be a blessing for us. 🙂 I appreciate the time you take to share with us and enjoy reading your thoughts.
To Melissa- so, so true! Your statement is like the Miss Melissa Dilley version of Proverbs 18:24- A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.
I will say, and I’m sure many could agree, that working a secular job can sometimes prove very difficult when you are rubbing shoulders with the world for 40 hours per week. I hear some people say that jobs at places like casinos, restaurants, and construction sites are “difficult” places for Christians to work. I’d say that any job where you are in the company of non-believers for long periods of time can become difficult. At my job at the hospital, I have maybe a handful of coworkers that I would call ‘friends’. This devotional though, forces me to question- is God pleased with the friendship I have with them?
People at my job know that I’m a Christian. That knowledge to them is sometimes cause for poking fun or mocking because they know that I stand differently than the crowd on some things. But those same people that might giggle with the others about me will be the ones to quietly come to me privately when times get tough for them or they need some direction or encouragement. At times like these, its up to me to determine how involved I will get in their situation and how much God will be glorified through it. What I know is many times God opening a door for me to witness, sometimes turns to long conversations about their adulterous relationship or addiction or other ungodly things. As much as I intend to keep the conversation and fellowship pure and infused with God’s counsel and wisdom, I sometimes blink my eyes a few times and the conversation is so far from what God thinks, its unreal. Before I know it, I’ve lost my oppourtunity to witness and I’ve now gotten wrapped up in discussion I have no business being in. This is very easily a danger to fellowship with unbelievers. Its that fine line we have to try hard not to cross. As Pastor said, we should show them love and pray for them and try our hardest to steer them toward the Lord but not get too close to them that they might start rubbing off on us.
This passage about the ruin that resulted from Ahab’s choices and Pastor’s counsel he gave in his devotional is definitely something for me to think about. I could do a better job at making and maintaining friendships that glorify God and bring me and the other person closer to Him instead of possibly drawing me and my family away from Him like Ahab.
Thanks Sara for the kind words. I currently am so tired that I cannot sleep so I thought I would read the scripture for today. I have to be honest this blog and the comments have purposed me to study God’s word with alot more thought. Pastor I never thought I’d say this but this blog has opened my eyes to your compassion. I have always butted heads with you over alot of issues but when I read the scripture and read your comments I can see where your coming from. This blog is truely a blessing. I have a problem with anger among other things so when I fall into that trap I do tend to seek the wrong advise from the wrong people. You know the world loves to agree with you when you have an issue contrary to God’s word. I have failed many times to listen to God and stupidly I take the advise of the world. I thank God for some of the young people in the church such as Phil Jr, Justin, Cody, E-San (Sorry man), Sami and Ashley who since I have made another attempt to come to church, to read and study God’s word, to observe and try not to allow my flesh to speak it’s mind have greeted me with smiles, with silly kid stuff, with compassion. I thank God for some adults also who have also welcomed me back like Ileen, BoB & Anna, Mrs. D, that old guy at the door Mr. Price and his wife Carol. My point is more gooder (that’s the tired version of Good) things are happening to me than badder (the tired version of Bad) things and I’m guessing it’s because of the people God is hedgeing me with. Thanks everybody it hasn’t gone unnoticed!!!