A Five Minute Devotional
The video shown below is the devotional from August 11th, 2020. The full text of the devotional follows the video.
WELCOME
Good Morning, my name is Ruth. I am part of the women’s ministry here at Calvary Chapel Rosarito, and I want to welcome you to TODAY’S GOOD NEWS”- Ladies edition.
INTRODUCTION
When I read this verse in Proverbs that I will share about today, it makes me sad. You see on October 8th, 2011, my brother David died. He was my beloved baby brother. I practically raised him and I still miss him everyday. He had struggled for many years with alcoholism. I think he drank to try and forget our abusive and neglected childhood. He was 49 years old when he suffered and died from an alcoholic heart attack. Honestly! That was the cause of death on his death certificate, an “alcoholic heart attack”. His drinking literally broke his heart.
Today’s verse is Proverbs 31:7. So let’s read it together.
“Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.”
WARNING
This is advice from the future king’s mother. She is warning the future King of Israel about the snare of drinking wine and beer. She is saying here that alcohol is for the poor and miserable. Alcohol is for the brokenhearted. How true is that today, the advice of a mother to her son or in our case, a daughter to refuse alcohol. Is drinking alcohol a sin? That is between us individually and the Lord. We need to search the Scriptures, pray and let the Lord speak to us on this issue. However, being drunk and controlled by anything other than the Holy Spirit is a sin. And let’s not forget the example we may be setting in our freedom to casually have a drink. Let’s consider our actions beforehand no matter what freedom we feel we may have in Christ that we don’t stumble a weaker person, whether they are a believer or not. And no matter their age.
In my brother’s case, he chose to drink and was in control until he wasn’t. Let me repeat that. He was in control until he wasn’t in control. He chose alcohol to forget his misery. He always thought he was in control of his drinking. Then the alcohol took over his life. He lost his job, his home and his family. And the ultimate result was that it literally broke his heart unto death. It also broke the hearts of his wife, his children, his father, his other brother and sisters and his friends.
THE WAY YTO GO
But, It didn’t have to turn out that way. And although he was born again, and I am sure in my heart that I will see him again in heaven, he had a choice. He could have found forgiveness in Jesus. He could have found hope in Jesus. He could have found strength in Jesus. He could have found purpose in Jesus.
This same forgiveness, hope, strength, and purpose is available for us today. This is for us no matter what we struggle with. And let’s be honest with ourselves. If our choices are leading us away from and not closer to our Lord, Savior and Redeemer, our choices are sinful.
The book of Psalms is filled with glorious promises from the Lord.
The Lord knows our struggles and He is always near to hear our cries. He always has compassion on us no matter what we are battling. He even has compassion on us when we sin. And if we are believers, He will restore us if we are willing and repentant.
Our gracious God is the healer of our hearts. He will completely heal our wounds.
When we hope in the Lord, He will strengthen us and restore our joy.
God is our mighty rock, our fortress, our protector, the rock where we are safe. He is our shield and our powerful weapon, and our place of shelter.
In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord says to us, “For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.”
If you are struggling with a sin today that is hindering your walk with the Lord or you realize that you need to repent and turn your life over to the care of the One who can truly forgive you, help you, heal you, and give you a future filled with hope, please get in touch with someone at Calvary Chapel Rosarito or your local Bible Teaching Church.
So in closing, let’s determine to have and maintain healthy hearts by finding forgiveness, hope, strength and purpose in our Lord Jesus Christ!
And Ladies, that’s TODAY’S GOOD NEWS!
