Wise Resolve Day 4

"It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink," Proverbs 31:4

I can remember a time when I was feeling sick and needed some medication while at a friend’s house. My friend’s mom wanted to give me some medicine and upon seeing the medicine I immediately declined it. Not because my head wasn't hurting but because the white powder in the simple plastic bag wasn't what I was used to taking for headaches. It turns out the powder was an old school aspirin powder that was very inexpensive yet effective. But it wasn't the remedy I was used to taking, so I knew it was not for me.

Sadly, sometimes this is NOT how we live our lives or lead our family and friends to live theirs. Lemuel's mother was wise because of one of two reasons. She had lived a life that she was warning her child, the king, of. Or she had watched and God had given her this wisdom to be able to teach him later on. Either way, this teaching is more than just a sentence in the chapter of Proverbs. It's a teaching for daily living!

When I first read it, I was like, "Okay God, what do you want me to get out of this? How do you want me to write on this one? I get that booze was for those who were sick with poverty and had no hope. But what else?" He unequivocally told me, "As children of the Most High God, you are royalty and the resolve of the common (the unsaved) is not yours. You do not need to worry, so you do not need their temporary solutions." Let me make that pebble level for you, like I do on Face book. When the lost are suffering, they turn to alcohol, ill gotten gain (stealing), drugs, sex, cutting, gambling, and any other means of TEMPORARY relief. Our resolve as children of the One who is Maker of all and Owner of all is in His Word, in His promise, in His very breath. We don’t have to turn to the temporary when we have been promised the eternal! Let me say that again, we do NOT have to turn to the temporary when we have been promised Eternity!! The crazy part to me is, even though we do not have to turn to it, we still do. We would rather have a temporary fix for our problems then to wait on God and have them resolved forever! We would rather spend days on end crying than seeking God. We would rather have our thirst quenched by the wine (trappings) of this world than to seek out our Life water, Jesus!

When we are sick (lost) and in this world, we grab at everything we think could be a cure. As we get closer to our "wit's end" our breaking point, we just start trying everything we can get our hands on to "dull the pain." It's at that very moment that Jesus steps in the picture with, not wine, not strong drink, but a Truth that not only quenches our thirst and revives us but it also continues to everyday that we drink from it. I love that! On the days that I don't read from His instructions for my life, I am lost in the day. Everything seems to crash around me, even on the quiet days... it just doesn’t seem to feel right. Like I am missing something. Have you been there? Do you ask the question, "How do I find what's missing?" The answer is in His Word. It not just one Scripture that you may love to read. It's not just your life verse. It's in all of His Word. It's a must read daily!

So the question is what will you choose? The temporary traps which bind you to keep returning and never be released, or the life giving, ever freeing, thirst quenching Word of God? He can answer every question if you dare to ask and listen. He will lead you to the way everlasting if you dare to follow. He will comfort you if you dare to be honest and open with Him! He will listen to your complaints, if you dare to let them out. At the risk of sounding like a commercial: You have tried everything else, now try Jesus! He is THE resolve you need!

Dear God, thank You for being the resolve I need! Thank You for allowing me to know that and giving another chance to come to You for comfort, for peace, for relief. I pray Lord that as this walk, as this journey to You gets harder, that You would increase my dosage each day. Increase my wisdom to hear what You are saying to me, my knowledge of You to hear the revelations You give me. As my struggles may be made known to others, allow me to show them what TRUE faith I have in You by my ever leaning on Your Word for relief from this dying world. Help me Lord to help them to You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Are you one that leans to your own understanding? Do you find yourself relying on the medicine of this world and yet returning to the very pain you were trying to escape from? If this is you, and you are tired of the merry go round the world has you on, I have GOOD NEWS for you! YOU are the one Jesus came to earth, lived out his life as an example for us, died a criminals death on a tree while STILL asking God to forgive us for what we did to him but did not know and then was raised from the dead for us to live in Him! Do you believe that for you? Do you believe that God loved you enough for the both of you, even though you still don’t love yourself? Do you believe that you can’t do this life on your own anymore and are thinking of giving up? Then you are where He needs you! Sound crazy? It is! He needs you to be so tired of you that you will turn to Him! Surrender and live or keep going this way and die. Harsh choices for a hard world, I know. But He loves YOU.... yes you reading this and crying right now. You who read this and wonder how can He love someone like you? How could He have let His Son die for you, one who is so low, one who is so not worthy of anyone’s love, one who has been abandoned? He loves YOU! Say this:

God, I am this sick person You speak of. I have been self medicating and not getting anywhere but further into hell. Help me, I can’t do this anymore. You know my sins yet You love me. You know what I have done yet You still want me! I confess all I have done to You! I believe, God that You sent Your son, Your beloved Son to die for my sins and raised Him from the dead so that I can live for Him! Enter in Jesus; You are welcome in this broken place! In Jesus name, Amen!

Welcome to the family!