November 1, Bad Partnerships

Today’s reading: Psalms 1-5

“Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies” - Psalm 5:9.

It has been a constant struggle for God’s people to realize that they cannot expect Christian behavior from non-Christians. Yet, they continue to go into business, marry, and enter into agreements with those whose values are not biblical, and suffer the consequences. While this can happen even when agreements with believers are entered into, it is much more likely when the partner is an unbeliever. Paul was clear in his warning against such alliances:

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).

Where have you expected good results from a bad partnership? What can you do to limit the damage or get out of the relationship altogether? Where do you need to repent that you relied on your own understanding, which was limited, instead of God’s infinite and endless wisdom?