Introductory Thoughts
Throughout history, millions of people have been deceived by the influence of wine and strong drink, including many Christians. These multitudes have been duped into thinking that they have the power to start and stop their consumption at will. All of them underestimated the power and the control of alcohol. Alcoholic consumption at the first seems to pose no threat to the individual, but as man continues to give himself to it, he discovers its deadly side. This is confirmed in Proverbs 23:32 where the Bible says, “At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” A man who submits himself to wine or strong drink eventually discovers that partaking in these substances turns to his own demise. He will lose his God-given self-control and find himself at the mercy of the unmerciful strong drink.
Devotional Thoughts
-
(For children): The Bible compares using strong drink to a painful adders bite. Genesis 49:17 tells us that the bite of an adder will cause a horse to rear (rise up on his hind legs) causing the rider to be thrown off backward. If an adders bite causes great pain for such a large animal like a horse, strong drink will definitely not be good for people.
-
(For everyone): Would you willingly choose to play with a serpent that has been known to bite? Or would you stay away just in case it might harm you? Making the choice to drink yields some very dangerous outcomes.
-
What does it mean to mock someone? Why does the Bible say that wine is a mocker? What does it mean to rage? Why does the Bible say that strong drink is raging?
Prayer Thoughts
- Ask God to protect you from the dangers of strong drink.
- Ask God to give you the wisdom to trust His word.
Song
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
