EXHORTATIONS FOR A RIGHTEOUS LIFE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!

Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. It is not for kings, Lemuel—it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:1-9

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Last August, I started this journey through the Book of Proverbs and what a journey it has been! What I have discovered is that it’s not a book to rush through but rather one that you need to take your time with, savoring each morsel of wisdom God provides. That has been my approach and I pray these ten months have blessed you as much as they have blessed me. If you’re new to The Christian Walk, you can read the entire Proverbs series as well as the rest of the writings from some of the New Testament and the Old Testament books preceding Proverbs at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com.

Today and tomorrow, we will cover the final chapter of Proverbs and look at the words of King Lemeul as he shared words given to him by his mother. Not much is known about this king as his name only appears here in the Bible. But maybe it’s not so important to focus on him but rather the words he shared, words that ended up included in the inspired word of God.

Before I jump into the main theme of today’s devotion, I did want to make sure we didn’t overlook the opening words of this passage. For Lemuel could have just spoken the words as if they were his own and no one would have known any different but he didn’t. Instead, he honored his mother and the words she had given him, words intended to impart guidance and direction to a son she loved dearly, so dearly that she wanted him to make the best of his life. Every parent should be as caring.

I know I find myself always remembering things my father and mother told me when I was growing up and although my father passed away several years ago, my mother still will share words of wisdom with me when we talk. I never tire of gaining her insight on matters of life, a life she has lived longer than I have. And hopefully one day, my two girls will share their own memories of things I have shared with them. I pray those things will mostly pertain to the word of the Lord and His will and way for living.

So what did Lemuel’s mother share with her son?

Simply put, she provided him (and by extension, all of us who read her words) exhortations for a righteous life. They included the following advice:

1. Be careful who you have relations with.

“Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.”

In biblical days, it was true for kings. Today, it’s true for everyone.

Part of living righteously is being careful who we yoke ourselves to. More than a few people have been taken down the road of sinfulness by connecting immorally with someone else or connecting to someone who was immoral. The power of influence cannot be ignored and should be a consideration point when we are selecting mates.

So how do you ensure you won’t have your spirit and energy sapped by an ill-advised relationship?

Allow the Lord connect you to the person He wants you with.

It’s simple enough and you know it’s true. The Lord will never lead us wrong and that includes never leading us into the wrong relationships. Make His will your will and He will bless you with a partner who will bring you joy and peace and love, a partner who will want to join you in seeking to glorify and honor the Lord with every day He blesses you with together.

A righteous companion aids you in living a righteous life. Let the Lord of all righteousness lead you to that companion.

2. Be careful when consuming alcohol.

“It is not for kings, Lemuel—it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.”

The message here is clear. Alcohol, when consumed in a way that does not respect the damaging impact it can have on a person, will bring a person to hardship in some way. I saw it happen over and over and over through my many years in the Navy, so much that I gave thanks daily that I never took a single drink of alcohol in my life. I’ll be frank with you, I refer to alcohol often as the “devil’s drink” for I have seen the destructive power it has had on people while under its influence. Anything that alters a person’s judgment in a way where they do not have full capacity to do the right thing is something to avoid. And yet, we are bombarded with advertising and marketing pushing beer and hard liquor incessantly. Don’t think that Satan isn’t in the background of all this.

Want to ensure a righteous life?

Be in full control of your decisions and actions, ever seeking the Lord to lead and guide you to righteousness. Unlike alcohol, He will always point you in the right direction and you’ll go there with a clear head and conscience.

3. Defend and advocate for the rights of the less fortunate.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”

“Defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Take a look at leaders who are in power. They aren’t exactly poor nor do many of them come from humble upbringings. If they did, it’s hard to tell in the way they govern.

The Bible is clear on the Lord’s expectations for how we are to care for the poor and needy and destitute. They are not to be forsaken but cared for. Their rights are to be respected as much as anyone else. They are to not be marginalized but promoted.

I’m afraid we have a long way to go in this area in all nations of the world but the way is not hard to find. For a righteous life means we have a genuine, heartfelt concern for the less fortunate just as Jesus did. As Christians, we’re to live as Christ lived and when we do that without reservation then we will not only be a defender and advocate for those who are in need. We’ll be living righteously in the process.

4. Judge fairly.

“Speak up and judge fairly.”

Kings were called on to pass judgment on others. It was part of their royal responsibilities. Lemuel’s mother desired for her son to judge fairly in the decisions he made while on the throne.

So how could he accomplish that? How can we accomplish it today as we face matters that call us to pass judgment?

We turn to the One who is the perfect Judge, the One who is the only true Judge, the One who will always judge righteously.

That’s it, right? It’s the common thread we have seen through all these exhortations. Want to live righteously? You can only do so when you humbly submit yourself fully to the Lord’s wisdom, guidance, and direction, acknowledging that you are incapable of living righteously on your own.

Friends, when you come to that realization and make that commitment, then and only then will you experience life as the Lord intended for it to be lived and you will experience more joy and peace and love than you ever dreamed possible because all that you do is all that the Lord wills for you to do. And that righteous living will always place you within His favor, now and forever more.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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