Reading for today
Old Testament: Proverbs 27, 28, 29
New Testament: James 2
Thoughts from today’s reading
Proverbs 27:17. As the popular adage goes, “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are”. We cannot deny the influence that our friends have on us. Good friends will challenge us and make us better, bad friends will rub off on us and make us worse. Decide what type of a person you want to be and choose your friends accordingly.
James 2:1-9. No one wants to be the victim of partiality or being judged on the basis of how prosperous they look, yet the one who does not want to be judged is the one that judges others and shows partiality. This is one of the problems with partiality, it reveals the hypocritical nature in us. If we walk according the the commandment of Jesus Christ to love our neighbour as ourselves, we will find that we are less likely to show partiality to any one.
Prayer
1. Heavenly Father, only you know the hearts of all men, lead us and direct us into the right company of friends. Jesus, you said by their fruits we shall know them. Help us to recognise the good fruits in others even if it doesn’t look as glamorous as what we think we deserve. May we keep associating with the company of those with faith and may we be willing to make the changes and adjustments to our lives that make us better people.
2. Jesus, you said that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, and this includes not judging another on the basis of what they look like or what they have. May I always be willing to put myself in the other persons shoes before I make any judgements. Help me to love like you love and to bring help and hope to those who need it most.