But I guess we each have a story to write--in a lot of cases how unwise we spent some of our lives.
I hope it is different for you now. Proverbs is a great book, and this chaptee is one I often use.
Most particularly, few people understand what verse 31 comprises:
"Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright" (Prov. 23:31 AV).
As you will remember from your days in the vineyard, freshly pressed grape juice of the dark kind is purple. And it stays that way if it is kept from fermenting. Your Welch's juice from concentrate is purple.
But the juice when it ferments becomes red. I believe that is why The Holy Spirit tells us not even to look on red wine, let alone drink it. A drunkard is not a spiritual man. The spiritual man, without a PhD in physical chemistry to explain why, simply sees that the grape juice is purple and drinks all he wants without getting drunk.
But on the other hand, if he sees it is red says to himself, "God says not to even look at it with yearning. So I'm not drinking that stuff."
FRiend, that man is both spiritual and wise. I have the degree, and have the knowledge to tell you why these effects happen, but that doesn't make me spiritual or wise, does it?
But the spiritual man reads God's Word, obeys it, and shows his wisdom by his obedience.
Yes, my life is much different, but it took more lessons than the ones I learned on that trip to wake me up.
For too many years I continued to kicking against goads.
I have been told to write a book about my early years. maybe one day I will.
Born of rape, loved by my family anyway, but watched my father go to prison, and became a drop out of the 9th grade. Signed over to the carnival at 16 by my Mom, because the military told her I was too young. So instead I joined at 17 after a year of traveling around Canada and the US as a Midway Barker for the Thomas Shows.
Hitchhiked the distance of America from coast to coast and border to border looking for something I refused to see was right before me. Married twice before I settled down with my third wife who was left in a wheelchair while we were still dating from a 35 foot trip off a cliff. It was a drinking road trip on a country road in Montana. We were in the back seat as passengers of a car that killed the driver.
I have more stories to tell than I remember, but none have been so sweet nor as fulfilling as the one I began the day I found the One I was running from for so many years. Christ Jesus.