WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JUNE 17, 2026
TOPIC: WHO ARE IN YOUR COMPANY?
BY T. O. BANSO
“For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you’” (Acts 27:23-24 New King James Version).
All 276 people aboard the ship carrying Paul to Rome were saved because of him. The crew, the soldiers, the prisoners, and others on the ship had endured a tempestuous headwind for 14 days, during which they had eaten nothing. In their dangerous condition, it was evident that they were bracing for the worst.
However, Paul stood up to give them a word of hope and assurance, even though they had failed to listen to him before. He had earlier warned them that he perceived there would be a lot of trouble on the voyage, and the loss of the cargo, the ship, and their lives (Acts 27:10).
Paul said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship” (Acts 27:21-22 New King James Version).
That was good news. However, Paul had more cheering news for them. He said, “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you’” (verses 23-24 New King James Version).
Based on this assurance from heaven, Paul encouraged them to take heart, declaring to them that he believed God that what the angel had told him would happen (verse 25).
Paul’s ship arrived at Malta after it had suffered a wreck. “And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land” verses 42-44 New King James Version).
What Paul said came to pass. No life on the ship was lost. God honoured His words to Paul through His angel. God saved the lives of all the people on the ship with Paul because of him.
The ship ran aground. It was destroyed, and the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn’t swim ashore and escape. However, because the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, he didn’t allow the soldiers to kill the prisoners, as they had planned.
The company you keep in life largely determines what happens to you. What saved all the 276 people on the ship, including Paul, was his presence. If Paul had not been there, they all would probably have perished.
Look at this: because of Paul, the lives of all on the ship were saved. However, because of Jonah—a disobedient prophet—all those in the ship he boarded to run from the presence of the LORD nearly perished. “But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up” (Jonah 1:4 New King James Version).
The great wind did not stop until the mariners identified him as the cause of their problem and threw him into the sea at his request. “And he said to them, ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me’” (verse 12 New King James Version). When you have the right people in your company, you are more likely to experience good things; the converse is also true. However, this does not invalidate the Word of God that each person will ultimately give an account to God for his own actions—individual accountability.
Referring to the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron, the New King James Version of the Bible in Numbers 16 mentions “Korah and all his company” (verse 5), “Korah and all your company” (verse 6), and “you and all your company” (verses 11 & 16). This was a company of rebels. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram—the leaders of the rebellion—and the 250 men who offered incense did not escape God’s judgment. This subsequently led to a complaint by the Israelites against Moses and Aaron, claiming they had killed the Lord’s people. This resulted in 14,700 people dying in a plague provoked by God’s wrath.
Who makes up your company in life? In your marriage, business, ministry, or profession, who is in your company? When the right people are in your company, things tend to go smoothly, and you record much success. On the other hand, when the wrong people are in your company, you tend to experience negative outcomes. As 1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds us, bad company corrupts good morals.
Who are those with you on your ship? Who are your business partners? Who is your spouse? Do those in your company bring you joy or cause you pain? Who are your friends? Who are the people around you?
2 Corinthians 6:14-16a asks, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God” (New King James Version).
According to Proverbs 13:20, whoever walks with the wise will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. Proverbs 12:26 also notes that the righteous should choose their friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.
We must be mindful of the ‘Jonahs’ and ‘Pauls’ in our lives. While Jonah’s disobedience briefly endangered the lives of those aboard his ship, God ultimately used him to bring revival to Nineveh. Similarly, God used Paul to spread the Gospel and save those on his journey. Our prayer should be for the wisdom to discern when someone’s path might endanger us spiritually, and for the grace to align ourselves with people of faith who will anchor us in Christ.
The Bible also highlights how God uses the righteous to bless their surroundings. Concerning Joseph in Potiphar’s house, it says, “So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field” (Genesis 39:5 New King James Version).
Likewise, in Genesis 30:27, Laban said to Jacob, “And Laban said to him, ‘Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake’” (New King James Version).
You need people in your life who carry God’s favour—and just as importantly, you should strive to be someone who brings God’s blessing to those around you.
In Mark 4, Jesus’ presence in the disciples’ boat saved it from capsizing. Jesus demonstrated His power over nature as the divine Creator. “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’” (Mark 4:37-38 New King James Version). When boats capsize at sea, lives are often lost. Without Jesus in the boat, His disciples were at risk of drowning. However, they woke Him up, and He saved them.
Mark 4:39-41 says, “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’” (New King James Version). Who can this be? He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Creator of heaven and the earth. Do you have a living relationship with Him? Is Jesus in your company? Is He a part of your business or organisation?
There was a time when Jesus was not in the boat with the disciples, but He watched over them. When He saw that they were in trouble on the sea, He walked on the water to reach and save them. Jesus cared for His followers. This story is recorded in Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, and John 6:16-21.
Upon reaching the disciples, “Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled” (Mark 6:51 New King James Version). On that occasion, before Jesus entered the boat, Peter briefly walked on water after asking Jesus to command him to come. However, Peter began to sink when he saw the boisterous wind and became afraid. This prompted Jesus to save him before they both climbed into the boat (Matthew 14:28-31).
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you do not have a relationship with Him. He is not in your company, and your boat is at risk. You need Jesus in your life; He will save you from eternal damnation and guide you through life’s storms.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must give your heart to Jesus now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I put an end to any association that is detrimental to my life and destiny. I separate myself from anyone who is not supposed to be in my life. Father, bring the right people into my circle and bring me into the right environment. I pray that those in bad relationships will repent and associate with the right people. I pray that all those who have not given their hearts to Jesus will do so in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and insightful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
BE OUR FINANCIAL PARTNER
Account Name: Cedar Ministry International
Bank: United Bank for Africa
Account Number: 1027304911 (Naira)
Account Number: 3004481420 (USD)
Swift Code: UNAFNGLA
