February 13

Feb 13 - Today from Proverbs 13 we look at verse 20
"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

Choosing your friends DOES matter! We're not just talking acquaintances here, but those whom we 'walk with', our 'companions'. Amos 3:3 says, "Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?"
There are people in this life that we have to make some effort to 'get along with'. People we work with, our next-door neighbors, the kid who sits next to us in class. But the people we choose as our companions - those we 'agree to walk with', they will have a significant impact on our own behavior and character. Proverbs has much to say about the wise and foolish - so we shouldn't have much trouble differentiating between them if we are intentionally observant. The trouble we have is adjusting our priorities in order to choose friends who will ultimately benefit us rather than drag us down. That's not as easy as it first seems because 'foolish' behavior' is usually immediately self-gratifying and consequences are long range. It may seem like fun to live in the fast lane with the rest of the fools, but it's usually too late when one discovers that it was going in the wrong direction.
Wisdom is much deeper, and the long-range effects of wisdom are stable, secure and founded on sound principles. But it's a much more disciplined road. Look for the people who appear to be on such a road and agree to walk with them. As you walk with them, you begin to discover the 'secrets' of their stability. Among them you will find their confidence in God’s Word and their unshakable faith in God.