Who are my friends? That is a question that some people do not ask themselves to often. This proverb is about our relationships in our society. It talks about the way we suppose to deal with others, especially people that we think are important or influential.
This is a very important subject because there are people who are willing to do whatever it takes to be involved with important persons. They also want to be VIP, so they invest time, money, energy etc to eat or espent time with them. The advice is”do not do it”, especially if they are sinners. This is what the writer says: “Do not let your heart envy sinners,but always continue in the fear of the Lord. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off” ( 23: 17-18)
Hope in the Lord is what will help us to build our relationships in harmony with the plan God has for all of us. We really have to believe that God is taking care of us, otherwise any option that come across our way will be a potential opportunity to associate ourselves with the wrong person or wrong choice.
Once again we are reminded to: “Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding” (23: 23) in other words pay the price of living according to God’s word and he will give you the blessings that you are striving for according to his will.