Corona Devo 1427

Who has anguish?  Who has sorrow?  Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?  

Who has unnecessary bruises?  Who has bloodshot eyes?  

(30) It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks.  

(31) Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.  

(32) For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper.  

(33) You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things.  

(34) You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast.  

(35) And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.  I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.  When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?”  ~Proverbs 23:29-35

~~~

Do not spend long hours in the taverns.

Do not be dependent, addicted, seeking joy/stability/a perk...in anything else...but Jesus.

Jesus provides the opposite effects of alcohol (or choose your weapon: drugs, coffee, sex, porn, power, achievement...)

God and His Son have a benevolent effect on us (organized for the purpose of doing good... ~Merriam Webster Dictionary).   All other outside sources of happiness or distraction have temporal, temporary, shallow, empty, and false fillings for us.

Who has anguish (distress, discomfort, misery, agony)?   ~Proverbs 23:29

Who has the opposite of anguish (comfort, consolation, peace, relief)?

Who has sorrow?   ~Proverbs 23:29

    Dependence, allegiance, and addiction to the "external" gods of alcohol and else will inevitably always connect us to sorrow.  However, dependence, allegiance, and addiction to God will inevitably bring us joy, peace, hope, and life.

Even when, and even if, and even though hard times will come... 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me...  ~Psalm 23:4

And...He is.  And...He will be.  

That does not mean there won't be hardship, trial or sorrow in our lives, but our rock and our root is God and not substances and false gods.  

Who is always fighting (Proverbs 23:29) against others, authority, those they love, and those they let down...

Who is always fighting...against God?...

DON'T.

Just don't today.  Whatever our tempting temporary "god" is...don't today.

Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.  ~Proverbs 23:31

Notice that God (in these verses) does not even mention the positive outcomes attained when we do not fall to alcohol and the like.  The Lord merely mentions the pitfalls of what happens to us when we do fall prey.  

And it is enough:

For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper.  

(33) You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things.  

(34) You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. 

(35) And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.  I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.  When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?”  ~Proverbs 23:32-35

~~~

Have we hurt someone because of our "long hours in the taverns"?

Have we been hurt by someone who has anguish?  Who has sorrow?  Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?  Who has unnecessary bruises?  Who has bloodshot eyes due to spending long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks (Proverbs 23:29-30)?

Pray for them to invite and allow Jesus to enter their lives.

And let's invite and allow Jesus to enter our lives today, if we are in anguish, sorrow, and fights due to alcohol or another substance.  Admit that we are powerless and that God is power for us and for our today.

Are we waking up...merely so that we can look for another drink? (Proverbs 23:35).

When will we wake up so we can look for Jesus? 

He is the only one and only thing that satisfies the deep void and longing and loneliness in our souls.  

Jesus replaces our anguish, sorrow, fighting, and complaining with Himself.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  ~John 14:6

Not through a bottle, a screen, a puff, an experience, a bank account, or anything else...only through Jesus.

Wake up and look for Jesus today.

All the rest is a dead-end and in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper (Proverbs 23:32).

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com 

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