Prov. 13:20 - He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm. NASU 

• Old Cliché 

There is a saying that goes like this: "You can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends". I would like to add to this saying: "You can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends, so choose wisely my friend".
 
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. 

• The Apostle Paul 

Over a thousand years after Solomon the Apostle Paul would say it this way in 1 Corinthians. 15:33 - Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." NASU
 
All in all both men are simply saying something like this: "Show me your friends and I will show you your future." 

• Solomon Says 

His advice is pretty simple and straight forward. You want to associate with people who are wise. Wise people understand that life is not all about them. It is about helping others and being the best that you can be while on this earth.
 
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." 
​

• Conclusion 

It is never too late to change your course. If you haven't been associating with wise people then start now. If you have been associating with fools then stop now.
 
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

I Kings 18:43-45 - He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’ ” In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower.  NASU

• You See What No One Else Can 

Having people not believe in your dreams is a commonplace experience. In our text above Elijah had a vision or a dream where the Word of the Lord came to him.

In this vision God had told him that it was going to rain:  1 Kings 18:1- Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth." NASU
 
Now, no one else knew it was going to rain. Everyone had been programmed to believe it wasn't going to rain because it hadn't rained in over three years.
 
In verse 41, Elijah could hear and see a storm coming.
 
While Elijah was on Mt. Carmel he knows a storm is coming but only he is able to see and hear it. He says to his servant (vs.43) “go…look towards the sea.” The servant does as Elijah said, but when he returns he informs him he saw nothing.

They go through this ritual six times and each time his answer is the same, “There is nothing.” Imagine going through this same routine six times and coming back with the same answer, “There is nothing.”
 
Elijah’s servant was not able to see what Elijah saw.

God said (vs.1) that He was sending rain and Elijah believed him and he could see the rain coming. He didn’t see it physically but he saw it spiritually. 

• Seeing What No One Else Sees 

Quite a few of my Pump Up readers are college coaches. They, many times, are able to see their athletes as champions, but the problem is others can’t see it.
 
So what are you to do when you can see what no one else can see?
You keep on displaying your faith in what you believe.
 
At least that is what Elijah did and on the seventh time his servant came back with a different answer, a "don’t get your hopes up too high" answer. He says, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand…”

The servant doesn’t have much faith in this little cloud. In fact, he says it is a “small” cloud. It is only the size of a man’s hand.

Now if you think about that for a moment, physically speaking, that size of a cloud isn’t going to do much.

That is what makes this story all the more fascinating. 
​

• God's Accomplishments 

God uses this small cloud to rain down heavy showers (vs. 45- In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower).  
 
You might have a vision or a dream and you have shared it with your family or friends and they all think you are “crazy” or worse yet: they even call you a “dreamer”.

All I can say is keep believing or having faith in your dreams. Elijah did and in the end he was right and they were wrong.
 
You may be the small cloud and God is going to do great things with you. Don't stop believing you are partnering with God.
 
Think About This:
 
Small minds are the first to criticize large ideas.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago      
    
Minister of God’s Word

2 Corin. 1:3-5 -  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.   NASU 

• First Benefit Of Hard Times 

According to verse 4 above God comes alongside us when we are going through hard times.
 
WOW!
 
I don't know about you I can only speak for myself, but many times when I've gone through hard times I thought God wasn't there. It was like God had gone on a vacation, and I was left to handle the mess by myself.
 
I was wrong.

In the book of Hebrews 13:5-6 it says, "for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID."

• Second Benefit Of Hard Times 

We get to use our experience from enduring hard times with others who are going through the same or a similar hard time.
 
"…so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

We get to be the shoulder a person can lean on as they go through their difficult time. We get to share with them how God was there for us and that God is there for them.
 
God isn't in the business of baling out on us when we need Him the most.  
​ 

• Conclusion 

You will want to assure the person enduring the hard time that all they have to do is wait patiently for God. He will help them make it safely to the other side of this trial.
 
Patience and trust are the key ingredients that are needed when going through hard times.
 
The next time you are going through a hard time, you will want to remember God is with you and you will use your experience to help someone else in the future.
 
My suggestion is take good notes because you will be called on in the future to share your experience with others.
 
Think About These:
 
This would be a wonderful world if men showed as much patience in all things as they do in waiting for a fish to bite.
 
Patience is often bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
 
Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago      
    
Minister of God’s Word