"It is not for kings, Lemuel - it is not for kings to drink wine, for not rulers to crave beer..."
Proverbs 31:8 (NIV)
Most of us know Proverbs 31 as the chapter about the model Christian wife, and yet the first 9 verses are all for the children of the eternal King! These are the words of a mother to her young prince. They are words of warning and encouragement. Words that encourage him to behave in a different way than the people around him, based on his identity as a child of the king. Children of earthly kings should behave differently than other children. Children of the eternal King should behave differently than other humans.
This mother, warns her son of the dangers of sexual immorality. Oh if we Christians would take this to heart! How large is the multitude of Christians who have been ruined by sexual immorality. She warns him about the dangers of alcohol; the befuddlement that drugs of all kinds bring into our lives. She tells him that he has a higher calling - a higher purpose that supersedes his rights to enjoy that which God made to cheer our hearts (Ps. 104:14-16). She then encourages him to set his sights on his purpose; "To speak for those who can't speak, to defend their rights."
There is a lot of wisdom in these words of a mother. Let us listen to our mother and live like our heavenly Father!
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