The Company You Keep Prov. 13:20 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
How you turn out has a lot to do with the company you keep – a girl at New Beginnings Girls Academy said she was in music and in church but met a friend and strayed from the Lord – the real challenge today is that we have children in church with us and then they have their school friends – frankly, most of the school friends are not like their church friends and so they are divided unless they pick friends at school that are wise – since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and public school educations are not based upon the fear of the Lord, finding WISE friends at school will be tough – normally what happens is that the children pick friends who are not wise and then “a companion of fools shall be destroyed” – a couple of hours with friends at church is rarely enough to compensate for 35-40 hours with friends at school – particularly since teen pregnancy, STD’s and drugs are so prevalent.
From this verse we see a very important rule by which we need to abide “walk with wise men; don’t be a companion of fools” – yesterday we earmarked some fools – today we need to learn to avoid them.
Walking with wise men means walking with:
Wise teachers – Contrast Lois and Eunice in 2 Tim 1:5 with Hananiah in Jer 28:16, who taught rebellion – in school when you have to learn the material for the grade, use the opportunity to learn how the fools teach it but don’t learn their ways – when it came to training for the ministry, I didn’t know a whole lot of schools; but the Lord directed me to the finest Bible teacher in the country (regardless of other criticisms against him) – run like crazy from anyone that wants to teach you how to do anything that is contrary to God – flock to men who want to show you things that will edify you.
Wise friends – contrast Jonadab in 2 Sam 13:3 and Hushai in 2 Sam 15:37 Hushai risked his life – compare Jonathan, the friend of David, and Jesus, the friend that sticketh closer than a brother – this area is where you will fall quicker than any other area in your life – I hooked up with the wrong crowd during my first semester in college and it cost me – the next 3 1/2 years with the right crowd helped me, even to this day.
Wise counselors – Ahithophel in 2 Sam 16:23 versus the young counselors of Rehoboam in 1 Ki 12:8 – you need to seek counsel (not just look for someone who will back you in what you want to do) – really listen and pray – excellent counsel is from the Bible.
A Wise mate – this has nothing to do with their looks – they may be good looking but the key is their wisdom – like Abigail in 1 Sam 25:3 and not like some of Solomon’s wives who turned his heart from the Lord 1 Ki 11:8-9.