Podcast Introduction
Our reading today is Psalms 24-26, and I’m calling the episode “Exit Stage Left.”
Comments on Psalm 26
Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers…”
Here in chapter 26, verses 4 and 5 David says, “I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.”
When I was a boy, my parents taught me the importance of choosing my friends wisely. 
Bible commentator James Montgomery Boice wrote, “Many Christians can trace a lost youth or fruitless middle years to the bad influence of evil persons, whom they looked up to and even envied at one time.” 
I’m thankful that I learned that lesson early in my life. Much of my teen years were in the 60s. I am truly one of the hippie generation, and marijuana and LSD were very much glorified in those years. Many of my high school classmates got involved in those drugs, including some of the smartest kids in class. And some of them were very negatively affected. Their grades suffered, and some ended up dropping out of school. One of them spent time in a mental hospital because he had really given his life over to drugs. 
Because of the message my parents gave me, I never succumbed to the temptation to experiment with drugs. Instead, I chose friends who were athletes. I was on the water polo and swim teams, and in my senior year I also took up snow skiing. I didn’t want to pollute my body with drugs.
I wasn’t brought up in a Christian home, but my parents were wise to teach me to choose my friends wisely. I was able to navigate through my adolescent years without many of the troubles some of my classmates had.
I was certainly not perfect, but at least I got through without getting involved with so-called friends who would be bad influences.
C.S. Lewis wrote, “Many people have a very strong desire to meet celebrated or ‘important’ people, including those whom they disapprove…. But I am inclined to think a Christian would be wise to avoid, where he decently can, any meeting with people who are bullies, or lascivious, cruel, dishonest, spiteful and so forth. Not because we are ‘too good’ for them. In a sense we are not good enough. We are not good enough to cope with all the temptations, nor clever enough to cope with all the problems, which an evening spent in such society produces.” 
And it’s not just the person-to-person contacts we have that can be bad for us. Think about the entertainment we choose. There is an awful lot of decidedly ungodly programming that is available on our television or computer or mobile device screens. We should choose our entertainment as wisely as we choose the people with whom we spend time. We must not allow the influence of the enemy through entertainment. 
The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
There’s nothing wrong with watching entertaining programming, but we must keep our guard up. And when it becomes clear that it crosses the line from entertainment to glorifying behavior contrary to God’s standards, we should turn it off. There have been many movies and TV shows that the Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I have stopped watching because of ideas or behaviors presented that would not be pleasing to God. 
Why flirt with danger? Why flirt with sin? 
In a couple of weeks, we will be reading Genesis 39. I’ll give you a spoiler here. As we read this week, one of Jacob’s sons by Rachel was named Joseph. Through a series of circumstances that we will read about, Joseph is sold into slavery, and he becomes the manager of an important Egyptian man’s household. This man’s wife tries to seduce Joseph, but instead of being with her, he runs away.
“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22)
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 22:3).
Beloved, let’s not be simple, but prudent.
Today’s Bible Translation
Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5-6 GNT
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