April 4 - Who You Walk With Matters

APRIL 4 - Who You Walk With Matters3-Year-Bible Reading: Proverbs 13:19–20; Psalm 39; Mark 4//⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠3-Year Bible Devotional Book (Year Two) Available on Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠//________________________________________“A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” — Proverbs 13:19–20 (ESV)“I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked are before me.” — Psalm 39:1 (ESV)“He said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?’” — Mark 4:13 (ESV)________________________________________Have you ever noticed how the people you hang out with can influence how you think, speak, and act? Maybe your friends encourage you to do well in school, make good choices, and stay positive. Or maybe they pressure you to gossip, act carelessly, or follow the wrong crowd. Proverbs 13:20 reminds us that walking with wise people makes us wiser, but keeping company with foolish people can lead to trouble.David in Psalm 39 struggled to control his words when surrounded by the wicked, showing that our environment and the people around us affect our behavior more than we sometimes realize. Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t always understand the lessons He was teaching them (Mark 4:13), highlighting how much we need guidance and wise company to grow in understanding. Being around the right people helps us guard our hearts, our words, and our choices, while being around the wrong crowd can pull us away from God’s best for us.It’s not always easy to choose friends or mentors who are wise and God-centered, especially when peer pressure is real. But God calls us to be intentional about who we let influence us. ________________________________________THINK ABOUT IT1. Check Your Circle: Who are the people you spend the most time with? Do they help you become wiser and more Christlike, or do they pull you away from God’s best?2. Guard Your Words: How can you follow David’s example in Psalm 39 by controlling what you say and how you respond when surrounded by negativity or pressure?3. Seek Guidance: Are you open to learning from people who are wiser or more experienced in faith, just like Jesus taught His disciples in Mark 4:13?________________________________________BOTTOM LINEThe people you choose to walk with shape your character, your decisions, and your destiny—choose wisely.________________________________________PRAYERHeavenly Father, thank You for placing wise people in my life who guide and encourage me. Help me to choose friends and mentors who inspire me to grow closer to You and live according to Your ways. Guard my words, my heart, and my actions, and teach me to walk wisely in every situation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.