Proverbs 31: 4-7: It is not for kings, O Lemuel--not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

This is not a devotional about the evils of drinking or prohibition on wine or beer. This is about the power of the mind and what seems to be the key to success in life. The one thing that Lemuel's mother was driving at, is that beer or wine will make anyone forget about it. 

Whatever it is that needs forgetting, it seems that wine and beer do the trick in the world. Many people want to numb themselves to their misery, their poverty, and the fact that they are perishing. But what if instead of drowning them in wine or beer we could drink in the grace of Jesus to remove all of that everyone wants to forget about?  The fact is, those of us who reign in life through Jesus (Romans 5:17) drink in the abundance of grace to remember what Jesus has done at the cross. It is said that all of the people at Pentecost were so full of the Spirit, that many people thought they were drunk! Acts 2:13- Some, however, made fun of them and said, They have had too much wine. But Peter explained it to them and he actually said, look it’s like 9am and we are not drunk. The Holy Spirit is upon us and it is because of what Jesus did. You see when we have the Holy Spirit, we have the power to forget about death, poverty, decay, and have hope. We don't need wine or beer, we have the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:26,27-Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. 

You see the presence of the Holy Spirit is enough to allow us to forget all about anything that relates to death, sickness, poverty because there is none of that in the Holy Spirit. We have the truth of Jesus all the time all around us, and yet it is our choice to look at our problems or our Jesus. When our minds get in agreement with the truth, no wine, beer, death, sickness, or fear have any room in our lives. I am not against drinking wine or beer.  However, I am against dulling the mind and killing the body to forget about problems of life when we have only to remember the sacrifice of Jesus and be drunk on the Spirit. Drink in the Spirit today, be renewed, and who cares if people think you're drunk, it’s a Holy kind of Spirit you're drinking, not a worldly one.

Father, we thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit who will remind us of the righteousness we have in Jesus. We thank You for allowing us to remember Jesus and let go of our poverty, misery, and mortality. We choose to drink in Your Living Water today to renew, bless, and liberate us from all of the worldly thoughts that battle for our time with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.