Wine is for “Losers”

Remember Prohibition? One hundred years ago, reformers won passage of a Constitutional Amendment prohibiting the sale of alcohol in all fifty states. Thirteen years later that amendment was repealed. But the Temperance movement had an impact. Churches and families once neutral about drinking took a stand against it.


Why? Because alcohol hurt families. The stereotype was all too common: fathers with drinking problems might avoid liquor for 13 days. But on day 14—payday—they would spend their entire paycheck on alcohol, drink all night long, and come home Saturday morning with no money and no food for their children.

The Bible allows drinking. But it forbids drinking too much: “Be not drunk with wine” Ephesians 5:18. My favorite scripture on the subject is a mother’s advice to her son who will become king:

“It is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink; or else they will drink and forget what has been decreed, and will pervert the rights of the afflicted. Give strong drink to one without hope, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. [But you, oh king], speak up for the unfortunate and defend the afflicted and needy.” Proverbs 31:4–7.

Does the king need wine? No. Why not? Because he is the king, duh. The writer says give wine to the man without hope so he can drink and forget his problems.

It comes down to self-esteem: Do I want to be a king or a poor man? I want to be a KING! And even when I AM poor or suffering, I know that because of Jesus, I have hope! Why do I need alcohol? My life was changed by Christ. Alcohol is the last thing I need. And of course, I know my own obsessiveness, and I know the stories of alcoholics in the families of both my parents. Why would I play with fire? Why take those risks when I am a king and ruler (2 Tim 2:12) through Jesus?

ΑΩ

P.S. Drinking is a nuanced issue with plenty of gray areas and room for reasonable minds to disagree. Remember the history of Prohibition in the United States: many churches and denominations took rigid positions on one side or the other–and those positions tend to persist a century after Prohibition was repealed. My conclusion is: Jesus drank wine and miraculously provided it to others. Who am I to say it is wrong? Yet dozens of Bible passages warn of the ill effects of drinking. We must do as Paul says, “let each man have his own conviction” (Romans 14:5) and “judge not” (Matthew 7:1). Finally, If you drink often, consider fasting often. Fasting moderates appetites, ensuring we will “Be not drunk on spirits, but filled with the Holy Spirit” Ephesians 5:18. https://dadsdailydevotionals.com/2023/04/06/its-not-if-but-when/

Education is Not Enough.

The world has never been more educated.  There are more universities today than at any time in history. And the “information superhighway” allows anyone to learn anything. Yet what is suggested as the solution to every problem?  More education. What will keep fatherless young men out of prison? Education. Prevent teen pregnancy? Education. Gangs? Education. Drugs? Education.

EDUCATION IS NOT ENOUGH.

Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived.  “The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart,” 1 Kings 10:23-24. Solomon’s wisdom encompassed “education” because it included insight into EVERY FIELD: “Solomon … described trees… and taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. People came from everywhere … to listen to Solomon’s wisdom” 1 Kings 4:32-34.

BUT EDUCATION IS NOT ENOUGH.

Solomon’s knowledge did not stop him from sinning.  “Solomon loved many foreign women… he was deeply attached … and they turned his heart away from the Lord. When he was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods… Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.  He did not completely follow Yahweh” 11:1-6.  Solomon built high places for idol worship, and God said: “Because you have done this, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant” 11:11.

No one had more ability to see the foolishness of his actions than Solomon.  No one could better foresee the punishment to come than Solomon. 

But EDUCATION IS NOT ENOUGH. 

Only a CHANGED HEART can make you live right.  Only a changed heart can serve God faithfully.  KNOWLEDGE of right and wrong is not enough.  You need the Holy Spirit to change you, to “take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh… and help you obey God’s laws” Ezekiel 36:26-27.

God, no matter how much we grow, study Your word, and gain wisdom—remind us that we need YOU every day to change our heart, keep us humble, and help us obey.

ΑΩ

Don’t Take the Bait.

Every day fish become prey because they take the bait. They see a potential meal—and instead they become the meal. What bait works on you? What fools you?

What bait got Solomon? He was the wealthiest king who ever lived, taking in 25 tons of gold EVERY YEAR. When the Queen of Sheba saw his wealth, the Bible says “it took her breath away.” He also was blessed with incredible wisdom and knowledge, on all subjects, from plant life to making good decisions.

“The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.” 1 Kings 10:24.

But Solomon failed. In spite of everything God gave him, he failed. Why?

Women.

“Solomon was deeply attached to these [pagan] women and loved them. He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and THEY TURNED HIS HEART AWAY FROM THE LORD. When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods.” 1 Kings 11:2-4.

Solomon failed. HE KNEW BETTER. But he failed anyway. He wrote Proverbs warning us about women with smooth tongues (6:24) and seductive words (7:5), that will decay your bones (12:4). Yet, he fell for 1,000 of them, many of whom were idol worshippers, and they influenced him.

How could that happen?! He wrote parts of the Bible, and later fell away in a spectacular fashion? What? If any fish KNEW he was looking at bait, and could see the hook and line, it was Solomon. But he took the bait anyway!

All I can say is, such women (and men) are a TRAP. Don’t let them get near you! Don’t toy with them, even in your mind. Don’t daydream about them. DON’T BE FRIENDS WITH THEM ON INSTAGRAM. Don’t talk to them AT ALL. You must be RUTHLESS. Cut them out of your life! Show NO MERCY. The enemy will use them to destroy you, so you must take an absolute, powerful, unwavering stand. Cut them off, and never speak to them again.

ΑΩ

Pet Sin.

Do you have a pet sin? An area where you convince yourself what you’re doing is okay?

Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived.  Kings from around the world came to visit and listen to his wisdom. He could explain the world—from people and politics to the mysteries of plants and animals and weather. Solomon had the answers, and grew fabulously wealthy in part because the wealth of other kingdoms was brought to him by the kings and courtiers that sought an audience with him.

But Solomon had a pet sin, and it came back to bite him—hard. 

“Solomon loved many foreign [idol worshipping] women …. Solomon was deeply attached to these women and loved them. He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and they turned his heart away from the Lord.  When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh as his father David had been … Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight” 1 Kings 11:1-6.

Solomon was a rock star–today’s celebrities are the closest thing to a king most Americans can understand: everyone loved, admired, even worshipped the king. But like a rock star, the king was really just a man. Solomon loved women and let himself be taken in. He was distracted and he was influenced. They loved their idols, so he got used to the idols and eventually joined in. It began with little things: first, he tolerated idols. Then he appreciated the fine carving of the ivory or the beautiful hammered gold—and finally he joined in. He was singing the songs, raising his hands and praising idols. 

And God could not allow that.  So He raised up Solomon’s servant Jeroboam to rebel against Solomon and steal away 10 of the 12 tribes.

“I will humble David’s descendants because of their unfaithfulness, but not forever” 1 Kings 11:39.

Solomon had it all: the crown, the riches, the genius mind that was the envy of the world, and he threw it away in pursuit of beautiful women who worshipped idols. Solomon, the wisest man, acted foolishly because he ignored his pet sin. What he should have done is apply his vast wisdom to his habits with the ladies. The pitfall in front of him could have been easily avoided.

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain. But a woman who fears the Lord, SHE SHALL BE PRAISED” Proverbs 31:30. (AMEN!)

God, please reveal to us any sin we ignore. Never let us throw away your blessings in our foolish pursuit of sin.

ΑΩ

Vocations and Avocations.

We are blessed. Capitalism, fossil fuels, electricity, and other factors have combined to make ours the richest society in history.

We can survive working only eight hours a day, while some economies require much more. And that leaves room for hobbies, second jobs, and a variety of “diversions” to give your mind a restful break from the day job while you explore something completely different.

Most people do the 9-to-5, watch TV for a few hours, then go to bed and do it all over again. But if you have a little energy left after your vocation, try an avocation: do something constructive. Make something. Learn a craft. Read a book. Take lessons. Join a chess club. Rebuild a classic automobile. Work the farm. My father and his father and brother were dedicated hobbyists, raising cattle, building RC aircraft, practicing photography, building black powder rifles—you name it. And I have as many irons in the blacksmith’s fire as they did.

As college students, it’s the same for you. You have classes (grades!) and then you have diversions: baseball, art, working with children, hunting and fishing, reading good books, or something else (rock climbing!).

I believe God smiles on us when we stay busy. And He obviously provides the energy:

“Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening. For you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.” Ecclesiastes 11:6.

I have clung to this verse for years, because with day jobs and night hobbies/jobs, I do not know “whether morning or evening sowing will succeed.” Will I stay at Dannenbaum, or teach college full-time, or sell some books? I don’t know, so I pursue them all, as the Lord leads.

You never know what God is going to bless. Keep working hard and doing your best at two or three things! Maybe the work you do in the morning will be blessed, but it might be the thing you’re doing in the evening.

ΑΩ

How Busy is Too Busy?

How busy are you? I heard a pastor say the year 2020 was a year of rest—and boy, was that true! But the Bible warns against laziness. “Go to the ant, oh sluggard, observe her ways and be wise….” The point is, ants work hard and stay busy. You never see ants taking a break.

I like a verse in my favorite book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes:

“Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, For you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, Or whether both of them alike will be good.” Eccl. 11:6.

This verse does not really fit.

The theme of Ecclesiastes is that life is a non-stop repetition of meaningless work no one will remember, that even if you’re famous and wise, you will be forgotten, so focus on enjoying life, your work, your family, and your Creator—these things give your life value. But then Solomon reminds us to work hard in the morning and the evening, because one field may flourish and the other may wither. So go the extra mile to cover yourself.

This verse inspires me to have several things going at once. I may work all day at Dannenbaum Engineering, but in the evenings, I teach at the University of Houston Downtown. If one job dried up, I would still have the other. I also do a lot of writing, because maybe someday it will sell. If I were to sell books, writing might bring in more money than Dannenbaum or UHD.

What about you? Do you have a “day job,” and a “night job”? Are you working your MAIN plan, but leaving room for a backup plan also? The Bible says to work hard in the morning AND in the evening, because you do not know what the future may hold, and having multiple income streams will protect you.

Read the verse again. How does it apply to your life?

Dear God, show each of us how to honor You by working hard in multiple areas.

ΑΩ

It is the Lord Christ Whom You Serve.

Did God call you to achieve your current goals? Or did you choose those goals without consulting Him? 

It is no joy to work for a difficult boss—EVEN WHEN THAT BOSS IS YOURSELF. 

But when God calls you, you will never doubt that you do not work for others, or for yourself, but for God.  He is your boss.  “It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” Colossians 3:24. Stop and talk to God and remind Him—remind yourself—that HE is your real boss.  

“In whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, AS UNTO GOD, RATHER THAN MEN” Ecclesiastes 9:10. 

Work hard—as though God were the boss, because He is.  When you are your own boss, you become anxious and frustrated when the results do not turn out the way you had hoped.  You wish you could fire yourself! Driven people are their own worst critics.  But when you are working because God called you to the work, then you remember that God is in charge, you surrender the results, and as that burden is lifted, you find joy in your work again.   

If I do my best and they fire me, I rest knowing I did my best.  I was “faithful in the small things” and God is going to take care of my needs.  If He is my real boss—then my grades are in HIS hands.  And He will either help those grades to come up, or He will take care of my needs IN SPITE of low grades.  Either way, the future is in HIS hands.  

When God is your boss, you only have one job: to do your best for Him. LET THE RESULTS GO.  Our job is to give God our best… and leave the results up to Him. Pray the prayer of relinquishment: RELEASE those results; leave them on the altar. 

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also bring it to pass” 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

God, we give you our work.  Help us work hard for You.  And Help us let go and trust You with the results.  You are the BOSS.  Thank You for taking care of us!

ΑΩ

Day Jobs and Night Jobs.

My parents were ALWAYS BUSY.

The house was always clean.  My dad was always repairing something, crawling under the car or up into the attic. The yard was never sloppy. We had home cooking every night, never without a salad. These were two people who absolutely HUSTLED every day.

Not everyone is made that way, nor should they be.  Both my parents were probably Marthas, but my wife is a Mary—and I love her that way (see Luke 10:42).  But let’s talk about work.

From the day Adam and Eve left the Garden, God put them to work. Adam would eat “by the sweat of his brow.”  They had to cultivate crops, store food for the winter, and make clothing and shelter. It was non-stop work, and our lives are equally busy.  That is not wrong.

In fact, our culture has made idols of recreation and vacation. 

We must have balance and wisdom, and work toward godly, Biblical goals—but 

We must embrace HARD WORK.

Young people sometimes misunderstand: when you “clock-out” at the office, you are not supposed to go home and do nothing. Often the REAL work begins at home! Life requires more from us. God requires more. Even if you could afford maids and cooks, there are details in life that require your attention. You will work your day job and you will also work at night. Sometimes that means working multiple jobs.

By day, I am a right-of-way agent.  At night I put on my lawyer/adjunct professor hat and will teach 12 semester hours this semester. Beyond that, I just published a book. You never know which area God is going to bless.

“Sow your seed in the morning, and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed or whether both of them alike will be good” Ecclesiastes 11:6.

We should expect to be busy all day, not just while we are “at work.”  Your work at home is arguably even more important.

ΑΩ

*This picture is a time clock like I once used. Employees are issued a card. When they arrive at work, they slide it into the machine to stamp their arrival time. Then when they leave, they stamp it again to note the time they left. This tabulates your work down to the minute, obviously increasing the employees’ feeling that he will not work one minute beyond those for which he is going to be paid.

The Stress of Being Rich.

Saturday Twila said, “When I see places like this, I just think that inside these houses are all these rich people, just living their rich, happy lives, without any problems.”

I mentioned an old cliché: Sometimes when you are wealthy, “you no longer own your stuff, but your stuff owns you.” Do you understand that? Ownership involves all sorts of headaches, especially MAINTENANCE. Animals need food and medicine. Cars need gas, tires, oil changes, and more. Houses need new bathroom floors, new microwaves, etc. Solomon sums it up:

“The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits them no sleep.” Ecclesiastes 5:12.

Imagine a day laborer who gets hired at dawn and does yard work till dusk—or painting, or demolition, or moving furniture. When he goes home that night, even to an infested shack, he will sleep like a baby. He has cash in his pocket, the satisfaction of a hard days’ work, and peace. But the rich man who hired him may be up for hours checking his bank account and wondering if he has enough money to finish this project. “The abundance of the rich permits them no sleep.” It’s true. There is a correlation between stress and success. If you have nothing—then you have nothing to lose. But when you have wealth, you have a wealth of worries.

So what is the answer?

Remember that GOD owns it all. Leave it in His hands. You are the steward, the manager. Your money is God’s. Your car is God’s. Your clothes are God’s. God even owns YOU. He owns your talents, skills, and abilities. Let Him show you how He wants you to use the gifts He has given you. Solomon knew the answer, for the rich and the poor:

“It is good to eat, drink, and ENJOY the work God has given you to do during your short life, because that is your reward.” Eccl. 5:18.

ENJOY YOUR WORK. Trust God with the details.

ΑΩ

Can You Enjoy Hard Work?

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes:

“I took pleasure in all my struggles.” Ecclesiastes 2:10.

Have you ever stopped in the middle of hard work and caught yourself enjoying it? A friend of mine was on the rowing team at Rutgers University and worked out so hard that throwing up was an everyday thing. And one day, it occurred to him that he loved it: he absolutely LOVED the rowing team, the hard work, the struggle. Have you been there?

I had a similar experience when we moved to the country. Every time I stepped out of the house to trim trees or mow or build fences or clear brush from fences—whatever it was—I realized I was loving it. I could have been lazy. I could have hated it and whined about staying inside reading books. But no, I loved it. I LOVED it. I still love it.

At my job yesterday something caused me to stop on the way out the door to lunch. I stepped back into my humble cubicle and prayed: “Thank you, God, for this job, this office, this desk and computer and all the good things that happen here. Thank you for work that is creative and challenging but not overwhelming or burdensome. Thank you for the pleasure and satisfaction of doing an honest day’s work.”

Have you ever felt that way? Can you join Solomon in “finding pleasure in struggles”? If not, think about the quarantine. Sometimes NOT working is so terrible, it makes you appreciate having work to do. Right?

Dear God, help us find pleasure in all our struggles. Help us be GRATEFUL for work. And help us always work hard and honor you—and do our work “as unto God rather than men.” We know that YOU are our real boss. Help us serve You well, whether working for ourselves, our parents, our teachers, or our jobs. Make us HARD WORKERS, and make us grateful. Thank you for honest, creative, challenging work. Help us to find pleasure in all our struggles, all our work, every day. We are here to serve You. We love you.

ΑΩ