Topic: Show me your friend
Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 13-15; Luke 16:19-31
Memory Verse: “But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.” 2 Samuel 13:3 (KJV)
Show me your friend and I will tell you the kind of person you are! is a common saying which shows the importance of friendship. Your friend will reflect the kind of person you are. Birds of the same feather take to the same generic description. The Bible recognises this and that’s why it says in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (KJV), “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
If you are a true child of God, then you will ensure you do not mix with unbelievers who can rub off on you and gradually turn you away from righteousness! In 2 Samuel 13: 1-19, Amnon had a bad influence in his friend, Jonadab. When Amnon told him of his lust for his sister, Tamar, instead of him talking Amnon out of the evil, he helped him to devise a way to implement the sad plan he had in mind though he knew the consequence but never bothered about it. He certainly did not like Amnon.
You need to examine the people you move with. If they encourage you to do evil things instead of talking you out of them, then you should break your relationship with them. The Bible says by their fruit, you shall know them (Matthew 7:16). Amnon should have known Jonadab to be a bad influence and should have broken the relationship with him before now. 2 Samuel 13:3 (KJV) says of him; “But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.”
On the other hand, if your friends encourage you to be good, upright and truthful, then you should cultivate such a relationship. The choice of friends is very fundamental as they can make a difference as to whether you live or die. In the case of Amnon, his friend led him to death but in the case of David, his friend, Jonathan saved his life. Your choice in life makes a lot of difference and generally determines your trajectory in life. Whatever choices you make today will determine your future and so it’s critical that you examine your alternatives critically before choosing any path in life. What should guide you in your choice is the word of God. You should check whether your choice aligns with God’s word. Ephesians 5:9 KJV, “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)” I.e. does your choice bring goodness to you and your neighbour? Is it about truth and does it align with the righteousness of Christ. If not, you need to look for alternatives because those choices amount to laying a bed upon which you will sleep later in life!
Prayer Point: Father in the mighty name of Jesus, please, guide me to make right choices in every area of my life going forward and grace to make amends on my previous wrong choices.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero