Influencers

Psalm 125

Verse 3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

Not only is God our mighty protector, He is our mighty provider. The psalmist shows us today that God is not going back on His promise of providing the land He said would be theirs.

We mentioned yesterday that we sometimes make choices that remove us from close communion with God. He still keeps His side of the covenant even when we don’t keep ours. A lot of the evil men that were being dealt with by the Israelite people were the very ones that God had told them to kill when they took possession of the land that God had promised them. By not obliterating the evil tribes the people of God often had to deal with them trying to drive the people of God out of the land.

But part of what the people needed to be protected from wasn’t the mere danger of these people but the false gods that they worshiped. The people were much like we are, they easily fell prey to the things of this world and the things it worships. But God’s people, yes, this includes us, need to remember that He alone is worthy of our worship. We should be seeking Him and His glory.

When righteous men make close associates of evil men it is more likely that the evil will become part of the righteous man’s thinking than vice versa. This isn’t to say we should sequester ourselves from all unrighteous men. No, even Christ had interactions with non-believers but not in a way that they could influence Him, even if He had been a mere human.

This is what we need to remember. We have to be aware as to the influence those around us are having on us. We have to understand just how easily we are led astray. God wants to use us to demonstrate His glory and righteousness. When we live under His scepter, we can be sure we are living in a way that is righteous and good for God's people. Being conscious of how we are living is one thing we need to do as we journey for worship.

Making It Personal

How intentional are you about who you closely associate with? Who in your life shouldn't you be associating closely? Are you someone that God would consider a godly influence?

Making It Personal Kids

Why is it important to have friends that love Jesus? Do you have any friends that are bad influences by trying to get you to do something Jesus wouldn't like? Are you someone that Jesus would say is a good friend?

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for protecting us from ourselves. Give us wisdom in choosing our friends and help us know who we shouldn't be friends with. In Jesus' name, Amen.