YAY, It's almost been a week since I began the 'Make-over'!
The topic for today, kind of goes with/follows yesterday's topic: "Working Joyfully"
The verse for today is from Proverbs 31:6 -- which is a continuation of yesterday's verse as well... "Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish;"
This verse however, has got me thinking. I had to stop and look into it deeper before commenting on it, or sharing what it means to me, and how it goes with our topic as well. This verse when read to the plain eye, basically is saying that we are to give alcohol to those who are in distress. It is saying that alcohol is basically the answer to those who are in anguish. Again, this interpretation obviously needs to be looked at closer, as it contradicts other verses in the Bible regarding drinking, and alcohol. Jesus himself, did drink wine. He even did a miracle where he gave people more wine to drink. However, it does not say that he got drunk on it, or that he drank it to get rid of his problems. Jesus also drank wine at the 'last supper', where the wine was representative of his blood.
With these people (in the verse above) who are perishing and in anguish, they are basically as the saying goes, 'drinking to forget'. Some people seek out alcohol to get rid of their problems, and they drink until they are happy once again. According to a quote from The New American Commentary, it says;
“The queen-mother does not recommend a free beer program for the poor or justify its use as an opiate for the masses; her point is simply that the king must avoid drunkenness in order to reign properly. The comparison to the suffering poor and to their use of alcohol is meant to awaken Lemuel to the duties that go with his class and status rather than to describe some kind of permissible drunkenness” (“Proverbs,” The New American Commentary, Vol. 14. Broadman: Nashville, p. 246).
As we stated in the beginning of this study on Proverbs 31, these first verses are warnings or lessons being taught to Lemuel as a young man by his mother. His mother wants him to know that others in the world will solve (or try to solve) their problems with alcohol, but he cannot, if he wants to be King, and lead his people properly. A King needs to remain stable, sober and un-impaired in his entire being. His mother is not telling him to give those in anguish beer, she is telling him to let those who want to seek after alcohol and beer to have it, but that he himself should never get involved in getting drunk on wine or beer. He needs to be able to serve the others in his kingdom will all that he is, which includes his mind, spirit, heart and body. If a King is to remain 'pure' and keep his mind, spirit, heart and body so that it is not impaired, how much more are we as Christians needing to do this as well?
Alcohol brings a temporary 'joy' (really it's just giddy happiness) when you are 'drinking to forget', or trying to drink away your problems. Unfortunately for most people, when they awake the next morning with a hangover (or kneeled over the porcelain throne), their problems are still there (and are even bigger sometimes). The happiness they received last night at "happy hour" has now diminished, and they choose to drink again to get rid of the feelings of fear, anger, bitterness and hurt.
Thankfully (THANK YOU LORD!) I cannot speak from experience regarding this, but I have been around those who 'drink' for fun, those who 'drink to get drunk', and those who 'drink to forget'. High school was an interesting time for me... so many of my 'friends' liked to drink, and get drunk, and then would come to school dances in great spirits. They had to drink to have fun. Unfortunately for me, my 'friends' & others who were drinking and some of who were drunk, would hang around me because the teachers would always say, 'well they are with Mitzi, so they must be ok'. Again, the law of association worked for their benefit. They knew that I was 'pure' and would not get involved with it, yet they somehow respected me for that. So when they had alcohol-based happiness, I on the other hand had a natural joy. A joy that welled up from deep inside of me. We are called to JOY in Jesus. It says in the Word that "The JOY of the LORD is our strength." This verse, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength", has gone with me throughout my life. I am a very cheerful, happy person who is full of joy.
[I am not puffing myself up in anyway with this story, but I am living proof that you (if you are a kid/teen), or your kids (if you are a parent/guardian) or grand-kids (if you are a grand-parent) can go through High School and still live for Jesus, and not have to be led by peer pressure. I give all the glory to God, for He protected me, and led me due to the prayers of my parents and others.] Now don't get me wrong, the peer pressure was there, there was always the feelings of 'would I fit in better if I did it?' -- but I held strong to my beliefs and made conscious decisions to where I went, what I did, and who I was there with. Because I know that some of my friends did succumb to peer pressure because of the 'fitting in' aspect as well. I spent 6 years in High School and was closely associated with the Football team, (I was the manager/assistant/water-girl/ gopher/nurse/ date counsellor ha ha!)-- which again when you think high School 'football team', you associate girls/cheerleaders flirting, and having sex, etc. However, I had friendships with several of the guys on the team, and again they respected me for the decisions I made. Now, I had to consciously make the decision not to attend team parties, house parties, etc with them. I was invited on many occasions to 'football parties' because I was 'one of the guys', but I purposed myself never to attend any of these house parties, because of the alcohol and sex issues that were involved. The guys still liked me, and knew however that I was there for them to talk to, share things with, give advice, etc... I became more of a 'sister' to them, and therefore they protected me as well. They knew that I stood my ground and now I know (from talking with them after High School) that some of them really respected me for taking that stand.
In all that we do, we need to do it joyfully, not with worldly joy (that lasts for a moment) but with Godly joy that lasts a lifetime, and it can flow in times of trouble as well. The Word says, "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy..."
Walk in JOY, and BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!
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