Hanging with who?

Be Careful Whom You Hang With

 

1 Kings 11:3: He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. And sure enough, they led his heart away from the LORD.

 

Hanging around with the wrong people can lead to disaster.

 

King Solomon is a perfect example. He liked having beautiful women around him. He enjoyed making them his wives. In those days, some kings of Israel practiced polygamy. Solomon went to such an extreme that he married 700 women during his reign.

 

God had warned the kings of Israel not to marry foreign women. He also warned them not to have multiple wives. Solomon disobeyed both laws.

 

Those wives from other countries worshiped idols. This was also forbidden. But apparently, Solomon didn’t care. He was the wisest man who ever lived, yet he acted stupidly in this matter.

 

Those wives liked worshiping idols. They told Solomon about it. They pestered him. They nagged. “Come, worship Baal.” Or, “It’s not hard. Try my goddess, Ashtoreth.”

 

Solomon was sucked in. He began to worship idols. God became very angry. He punished Solomon by taking half his kingdom from his son, Rehoboam.

 

Who you hang with matters. Bad people want to do bad things. They will drag you into sin, if you’re not careful. Choose your friends wisely. It’s a matter of life and death.

 

Prayer: Father, help me always to choose good friends to hang with. Amen.

Trouble

Trouble!

 

Exodus 5:22: So Moses went back to the LORD and protested, “Why have you mistreated your own people like this? Why did you send me?”

 

Trouble happens to everyone. Sooner or later, trouble will invade your life. Work, school, church, your family, your friends. Trouble finds us all.

 

In Moses’ day, God had commanded the leader to barter with Pharaoh(the king of Egypt) and lead the Jews out of slavery. Moses, after trying to get out of the whole thing, finally went along with God. When Moses appeared before Pharaoh, things got worse. Pharaoh told Moses to get out of his palace, and then he ordered that the Jews make bricks without straw. This was a dire problem, because without straw the bricks were much harder to make through holding the clay together.

 

When Moses got back to the Jewish leaders, they screamed at him. How could he do this to them? What was he thinking?

 

Moses ran into his tent and asked God to fire him. “How could you do this to ME?” he cried.

 

In the end, though, God showed Moses he was completely in charge. He made it possible for the Jews to escape from Egypt, but only after more trouble resulted.

 

Having troubles is not always a bad thing. God sometimes sends them for one reason: so we’ll run to God and ask for his help. Do you have trouble today? Maybe you need to go to God and get some divine help!

 

Prayer: Father, let me never forget that you are there to help me. Amen.

Work It For Good

God Meant It For Good

 

Genesis 50:20: As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people.

 

Ally waited in line at the theater with her friends. Her heart was troubled. That afternoon, she learned her grandfather had suffered a stroke. In the hospital in the west, miles from where Ally lived, the doctors were saying it was touch and go. Ally’s parents told her to go to the movie tonight to take her mind off the disaster, but she couldn’t. She found herself praying according to a verse she’d learned that week in Wednesday night youth group. “Jesus, please make Granddad well, and make this work for good in his life.”

Ally’s grandfather wasn’t a Christian. A hard-driving man, he cussed and drank and lived a rough life. But she loved him.

 

A week later, Ally’s parents flew her out west to see her Granddad. As she sat by his bedside, he took her hand. “You been prayin’, haven’t ya?” he whispered.

 

Ally nodded.

 

“Well, it’s workin’,” he said. “I’m feelin’ ready to get right with God.”

 

Ally told him about her prayers and the verse and he smiled. “Sounds like God’s been answerin’.”

Before he died, Granddad did accept the Lord, and Ally realized God had worked the stroke for good, just like he had the problems with Joseph and his brothers.

 

Prayer: Lord, show me how you’re working good in my life. I need to see it. Amen.