BLESSED BY ASSOCIATION

MEMORISE: 'but now I have written unto you not to keep company, If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, Or an idolater, or a raillery, or a drunkard, or an extortion; With such an one no not to eat.' (1 Cor 5:11)
READ: 2 Kings 6: 11-17

God made a covenant with Abraham and blessed him. But because God is the everlasting God, he purposed that the blessing would outlive Abraham. In fulfilling this, God promised that through Abraham's seed, every nation on earth would be blessed.

Therefore anyone who is the seed of Abraham is automatically blessed, because Abraham was blessed. Through Jesus, you can become the seed of Abraham (Gal 3:13-14). In this world there are only two lineages: those who are connected with the lineage of Abraham and those who are not. Those who are in Abraham's lineage automatically qualify for his blessings. Romans 11:16-20 says that because of the unbelief of the Israelites, God had to graft the Gentiles in. we are the spiritual Israelites and as such we qualify for the covenant blessing God has released to us. We are blessed because we are positively connected with Abraham (through out faith in Christ).

Be careful whom you associate with. If you associate with someone who is blessed, you too will be blessed. If you associate with someone who is cursed, the curse will also spread. In our reading the enemy came with a great host to arrest Elisha. Because Elisha's servant was associate with him, he too was delivered and protected by the same angelic host guarding Elisha.

Associate yourself with a genuine man of God. If you do, you will also enjoy the blessings and grace he enjoys to some extent. Keep away from those who are cured. The children of Gehazi will regret generation after generation that they were ever born, because they were born into leprosy. Be mindful of those you mingle with. If you keep thieves, fornicators, liars, smokers, and fraudulent people as friends, their evil will also spread to you. Cut yourself off from such people today and associate with genuinely saved brethren. Cut yourself off from such people today and associate with genuinely saved brethren.

ACTION POINT
Examine those with whom you keep company and determine their influence on you. Break away without apology from every negative associate.