Where do you turn in sorrow, strife, and complaints?
My kids pick on me and a dear friend that even when we try to partake in the consumption of wine, we are epic failures. Today as one of the girls and I were at the grocery store, I asked out loud if I should grab a bottle of wine. Her response was to ask who was coming over, since I am horrible at drinking wine. I took a little joy in that observation, but I will admit, there have been days that I wished I could drown my sorrows and woes in the wine bottle. I eagerly sought for the numbing I see it provide others and found myself disappointed that more oftentimes than not it would lead to sleep, headaches, and a lack of relief of any kind. The fact is, turning to wine will never provide relief. I heard Proverbs 23 today and although I have read it in the past, I had not focused on the beginning. “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has heedless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?” (Proverbs 23:29, NIV) The fact is, we all do. Each of these questions describes all of us at any point in our lives. We have all felt loss, sorrow, and strife. We have all been bruised, complained and shed more tears than we can count. What God reminds us is that only He can fill that void, only He can fill that loss and emptiness we feel.
When we “linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is read, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping in the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?” (Proverbs 23:30-35, NIV) God reminds us that when we turn to wine, it bites us, it poisons us. It hurts us more and causes bruising that we deny. We deny the hurt and pain it causes and only wake to turn to it again. It becomes an endless cycle of continued pain and suffering constantly seeking the numbing instead of working through the pain, moving through the suffering. When we don’t seek God, we linger in the suffering, we continuously return to the pain and seek the numbing offered by alcohol, addiction, seeking the short term release it gives us, denying that long term release will never be achieved.
God reminds us to set our hearts “on the right path” (Proverbs 23:19, NIV) It is only in doing so that we will finally be fulfilled, that we will find great joy, and that we will break the cycle of suffering. None of us is immune to woe, sorrow, strife, complaints, bruises, and tears. We all have a choice to make in how we respond. Will you work through the pain seeking the joy that only comes from God or will you continue to dwell in the endless cycle of suffering denying the endless pain you are causing yourself?
Today, I pray these words spoke to you. I heard today that each of us is either personally impacted by addiction or one step removed from someone who is. 1 in 6 suffer daily. If you are one of those, I pray that you decide today to end the cycle of abuse and denial and turn towards God for the healing that only He can provide. If you have a loved one suffering, I pray that you find peace in these words knowing that God can and will provide healing. He can fill that emptiness our loved ones feel-be prayerful and trust in God.
I pray these words spoke to you, please share with a friend. Don’t miss a blog post, subscribe to my web page.
