October Refelctions on Proverbs 31: Day 6 & 7, Verses 6 & 7

I R6 "Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more."

Is Lemuel's mom giving a drinking pass to those in living in despair? No. Actually she's giving a pass to those who were dying in despair. 

Wine was a used as a common sedatitive or pain killer in Bible times (1 Timothy 5:23). She was saying let those suffering at death's door take wine to help ease their pain as they passed from this life to the next. 

Her son, Lemuel, was still very much alive and had kingdom business to attend to. She admonished him to refrain from such activity lest he be counted with the dying who "drink and forget."

There is another kind of wine talked about in God's word that is unlike any other in the world. Lemuel could drink his fill without impairing his judgement. On the contrary, this wine would cause him to remember The Lord and His commands. It is the wine that Wisdom offers to drink and truly live (Proverbs 9:1-6). It is the same heavenly wine The Lord offers to all who are thirsty (Isaiah 55:1-5). It is the same "wine" the disciples appeared to be drunk off of on the Day of Pentecost where they ministered to thousands (Acts 2:13)! 

This heavenly wine does not impair judgement, however. It enhances it. We as believers have kingdom business to attend to like Lemuel. Wouldn't you rather be filled with the wine that would help you serve in the Kingdom? 

I recently heard it said concerning being filled with the Holy Spirit that "drunk people take more risks" (Kevin Dedmon). It is true in a literal sense; drunk people will do things they ordinarily would not have had the courage to do once they've had a few drinks. How true is this of us who drink in the wine of the Holy Spirit? 

And one of the greatest things about this heavenly "wine"? It's free to those who ask The Lord for it and anyone can drink it! There is no age limit and it doesn't cost you anything monetarily. It's refreshing to the soul and it's in never-ending supply from our Heavenly Father. It also helps advance Kingdom business!

Do you need to be filled today? Ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you right where you sit. Contrary to what you might think, you don't need a special church service with an Evangelist to pray over you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can meet you anytime, anyplace and He longs to fill you (Matthew 7:7-11)! Once we are filled we can pour out what we've given to our families--our husband, children, and in-laws even! Let's not be counted with the dying who drink to forget. Let us be fully alive in the power of the Holy Spirit and all the gifts He has to offer!