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Prov. 13:20 - He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm. NASU
When Barry Davis was coaching college wrestling, he told me about quite a few different wrestlers he knew and coached who associated with the wrong people, and ruined their careers. One wrestler connected with the wrong girlfriend and instead of returning the next year and becoming a National Champ, he didn't even finish as an All American. Solomon said it many years ago and this is still great advice today. Choose your friends wisely. If you become friends with a fool it will cost you dearly.
All in all both men are simply saying something like this: "Show me your friends and I will show you your future."
We all have one thing in common and that is we are going to die. So what are you going to do with your life before death comes knocking on your door? The one thing you don't want to do is waste your time associating with the wrong people. Serago's paraphrase of what Solomon says reads like this: "You associate with fools and it will bring guaranteed suffering into your life." THE MESSAGE says it this way, "Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces."
Read God's Word because it will tell you the type of people to have as friends. Think About These: A wise man learns by the experiences of others. An ordinary man learns by his own experiences. A fool learns by nobody's experiences. Knowledge is knowing a fact. Wisdom is knowing what to do with that fact. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God’s Word
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Prov.11:13 - He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter. NASU
Friends know how to conceal things about you and not reveal them. This proverb says a talebearer or one who walks about spreading scandal about you will not be a friend. This person will reveal the events that you didn't want made known. If they will reveal simple embarrassing things then imagine if there was something serious that you didn't want people to find out about you. Please know that I am not talking about anything criminal here. What I am referring to is things that happen to all of us in life but you don't want the whole world to know about it.
I had a reputation that no matter what anyone told me it never got repeated by me. If you are going to be a friend the first characteristic you want to develop is being trustworthy. When someone shares with you an event in their life and asks you to keep it a secret, be a trustworthy friend and don't repeat it. Honor their request. Don't be a low life and blab everything you know. No one can force you to reveal secrets. The power is all yours. You can either conceal or reveal the matter the choice is yours. Take the high road and conceal what you have been asked to conceal. Be a trustworthy friend and conceal matters that pertain to you and your friend(s).
Be a friend today and contact a friend and tell him/her how they have blessed your life. "Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." - Helen Keller Think About These: A good friend knows all your best stories, while a best friend has lived them with you. Good Friends are Hard to Find, Harder to Leave, and Impossible to Forget. Events in life are not quite as scary when you have a best friend. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Prov. 27:5-6 - Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. NASU
If we will be honest we have probably all had some dumb ideas and very glad we didn't take it to the next step because if we had failure was right around the corner. A friend is one who looks you right in the eyes and challenges you or as verse 5 says, they will "openly rebuke" you. This Hebrew word for rebuke means to challenge, prove, or reason. They will challenge you, ask you to prove it, or ask you to reason with them on this?
Friends will challenge you and you may even feel like you have been knifed with their questions. One thing we can all use is a friend who tries to keep us from falling but if we do fall he is there to help pick us up. Your friends won't always agree with every choice you make but they will remain your friend. Friends listen to what you say and will not always agree with everything you say. But they always are there when you need them to listen. Hopefully, in your life, you have at least one friend like this.
They will listen to what you are saying before they give you any feedback. Most of us already know what I am saying is true, but still, we find ourselves being surrounded by the wrong type of people and listening to the wrong type of friend. As Christmas gets closer give yourself the best gift possible, a Great Friend. Think on These: It is best to test new ideas on old friends. If you were another person, Would you like to be a friend of yours? Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Numbers 22:27-33 - When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" Then Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?" And he said, "No."
Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. The angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. "But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live." NASU
We couldn't see this purchase was going to end up being a loss of money, our parents did and they were not able to talk us out of buying it. Balaam couldn't see the Angel of the Lord, but his donkey could see the Angel. The Angel had his sword drawn and was ready to use it, but the donkey saved Balaam's life by lying down under him. How was he repaid for saving Balaam's life? Balaam in a fit of rage beat his donkey with a stick. Hopefully, this doesn't sound familiar? Hopefully, you have not lashed out at someone who was trying to help you. Did you know your best friend is going to be one who sees things objectively and will honestly share with you their unbiased opinion?
His donkey wants to know why he has been treated so harshly for saving his life? Have you ever treated a friend harshly for telling you the truth? You couldn't see what he/she was seeing because you didn't want to see it. You were making a decision based on your subjectivity. The Lord opens the eyes of Balaam and allows him to see the Angel of the Lord with His drawn sword. The Angel informs him if it hadn't been for his donkey He would have killed him.
Balaam was not listening to God and it almost cost him his life. What about us? Are we listening to God or the people He sends to speak with us? Is God trying to get our attention? God used Balaam's donkey to speak to him. Who is God trying to use to speak to us? I would like to share some words of wisdom from the book of Proverbs 27:6 - Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. We all need a friend who will tell us the truth even though it hurts for it is better than being lied to by so-called friends. The lie may make you feel good at the time but it will bring pain that could have been avoided. Think About This: "When a person with experience meets a person with money, the person with experience will get the money. And the person with the money will get the experience." - Leonard Lauder Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word 2 Kings 5:11-14 - But Naaman was furious and went away and said, "Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.' "Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?"
So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, "My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. NASU
He was the captain of the army of Aram. He was considered a great man, he was highly respected and he was a valiant warrior. It would be easy to see how this man could be a little puffed up with pride. Naaman only has one problem. He has leprosy. He has heard he can be cured if he could make contact with the prophet of Israel who is in Samaria. So he receives permission from the king to go and connect with this prophet.
What Elisha did was not what Naaman had envisioned. Naaman thought the prophet would come out and meet him after all he is a great man in Aram. Elisha doesn't respond the way Naaman thought he would. He tells him through a messenger to go dip himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman becomes furious because Elisha doesn't heal Naaman the way he thought he would be healed and he goes away enraged.
Elisha, through a messenger, tells Naaman to go dip himself in the Jordan River seven times and be healed. Naaman doesn't want to do this he wants to argue about his two rivers in Damascus being better than the Jordan River. He departs in a rage. His servants approach him and speak logically to him. They ask him a question, "If the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?" The answer to their question is "Yes, he would have done it." They convince him to do what the prophet said and when he does he is healed of his leprosy.
Naaman did and because they weren't afraid to confront him he was healed of his leprosy. Friends like this are rare but count yourself blessed if you have even one. Think On This: A true friend thinks of you when all others are thinking of themselves. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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