When God let the Israelites go into the promised land, He commanded them what to do about the people already living there.  “then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places.” (Numbers 33:52)  He knew what bad influences could do to His people.  Paul also warned the Corinthians about this same thing.  “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” (1 Corinthians 15:33)  The Psalmist reminds us that we should not only avoid evil, but we should fill our lives with good.  “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; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” (Psalms 1:1-4)

Today’s reading: Numbers 33-34