Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. -Psalm 1:1-3 

My mother always told me that “birds of a feather flock together.” Of course, that was intended to keep me from associating with people she deemed of poor character (by the way, she was usually right– although I didn’t see it at the time). Much in the same way, our Heavenly Father wants us to avoid people who are likely to drag us down and take us away from Him.

Some people like to complain about preachers that promote a “Prosperity Gospel” in their teaching. Funny, but I see the words prosperity mentioned in more than one place in the Bible– and it is usually connected to loving God and trying to live a life of obedience to Him. Don’t get me wrong, I see how things can be taken out of context and expectations can arise that will never be satisfied (sometimes, thank Him, He says “no”). I guess, too, that a lot depends on what one considers “prospering” to be. To me, prosperity comes in the form of a deep and abiding satisfaction I get when walking closely with the Lord.