Our devotional for the week is from David Maxson, an evangelist at Northwood Church of Christ, Northport, AL.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine … Proverbs 31:4

Why did King Lemuel’s mother give him this advice?

She explains in the next verse, … lest they drink and forget what has been decreed (31:5). Kings must know and understand the law so they might rule their nations with wisdom and justice.

It is not for kings to drink wine.

As kings and priests (Revelation 1:6) we must be equally concerned about forgetting the law of God. We are given a similar exhortation to sobriety in Ephesians 5:18 to not be drunk with wine. In the context of Ephesians 5 we read we are no longer in darkness, but light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:6, 8). As children of light we are to discern what is pleasing to the Lord, looking carefully to how we walk (Ephesians 5:8-10, 15). We are not to walk foolishly, but to understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:17).

It is not for kings to drink wine. Kings are to carefully considering the law of the Lord. Sobriety is imperative.

So before you get drunk (through alcohol or anything else that intoxicates), remember you are a king!

Father, give us sober minds that we might always judge rightly.

Maxson has been preaching at Northwood since 2013. Before that he worked with Embry Hills Church, Atlanta, GA, for 12 years and with Lamar Church, Vernon, AL, for six years. He trained with Pete McKee at Huffman Church, Birmingham, AL. David married Adrienne in 1994 and they have three children: Anna, Joshua, and Katie. The Northwood church is a group of individuals who seek to be “just Christians.” The congregation formally is known as the Church of Christ, at Northwood. But, don’t confuse this name with any man-given names you may hear – this one denotes the desire to belong to Christ.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Don’t make life more complicated than it has to be … just keep it simple. It’s simply life. — LaTrice Brandon