Joshua

March 30

Judges 2:1-8, 3:5-6

Mixing with the wrong people

Not long after the Israelites had settled in the Promised Land, they became friendly with the wicked people they were supposed to have driven from the land. The Israelites did not tear down the idols and altars of the heathen people as God had told them to.

Joshua died at the age of one hundred and ten, and the next generation forgot what the Lord had done for Israel. They settled among the heathen tribes, married with them, and worshiped their gods.

Is it okay to have friends who don’t believe in God?

One of the greatest gifts God has given us is the gift of friendship. It is wonderful to have close friends with whom you can have fun and share your dreams. It is also comforting to have someone who understands you and encourages you when life gets tough.

Jesus had a group of close friends with whom He spent most of His time. The night before He faced death on a cross, He went to a garden to pray with them. The human part of Jesus longed for the support of those closest to Him.

Yet, Jesus did not only have His twelve close friends. He also made friends with sinners—bad people who probably didn’t even know how to pray. Jesus wanted them to know about God’s love too, and they would only be able to see the love of the Father by seeing how much He loved them.

God also wants us to reach out to those who don’t know Him, but He doesn’t want us to get caught up in the wrong things they do. Make sure that your closest friends are not the type who will try to get you to do wrong things.

Verse for today

A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26