Proverbs 31:6

Wednesday 2/22/12

Proverbs 31:6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart.

Interpretation:

     In the previous verses, Lemuel’s mother told him that wine is not for him and why he shouldn’t have it. In this verse, though, she is telling him who then should be drinking the wine and strong drink – the perishing and bitter of heart. But now here’s my question: where does a king go when he’s down? As Christians and children of the King, where should we be going when we feel so bad that our heart hurts and we even feel like we’re perishing? As John 17:16 states, we are not of this world; therefore, we don’t flee to the unstable joy that the world has to offer. In Psalm 30:6-11, David gives us the answer:

Now in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.”
⁷ Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

⁸ I cried out to You, O Lord;
And to the Lord I made supplication:
⁹ “What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
¹⁰ Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
Lord, be my helper!”

¹¹ You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness…

     As Christians, we may get down at times, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5b). We need only to seek God with all our hearts.

Application:

     Today, I will carve out at least an extra half hour (not including my regular devotion time) to seek God, spend time in His Word, and pray.