Day 210 – Sober

Proverbs 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. 31 Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; 32 at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. 34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; they have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When will I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

• God’s names:
• YAHWEH/JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal
• Yeshuwa/Iesous – Jesus
• Pater/Abba – Father
• Christos – Anointed One, Messiah

• God’s character:
• Love

Statistics show that one in five people binge drink. One in ten are addicted, and 178,000 Americans die yearly from excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol is an addiction. It ruins not only the person who drinks, but also their families. Addiction starts as young as twelve years old.

Alcohol consumption has been around since ancient days. Noah planted a vineyard and lay drunk in his tent.

Genesis 9:20 And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. 21 Then he drank the wine and was drunk and became uncovered in his tent.

Solomon was familiar with wine and strong drinks. It flowed freely at his table. He knew the effects it had on people and told them what it would do to them if they weren’t careful.

Esther 1:1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia), 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel, 3 that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants-the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him— 4 when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all. 5 And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. 6 There were white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the couches were gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble. 7 And they served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance, according to the generosity of the king. 8 In accordance with the law, drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure.

Drinking was common and it was dangerous as Solomon pointed out. Too much wine and people didn’t know what they were doing and felt no pain. They only looked for the next drink.

Was it against the Law to drink? No. Wine was used in their ceremonies. It only became harmful when it was consumed to abuse. YAHWEH gave no law against wine and alcohol consumption.

Many testimonies come from Christians who came from an alcohol abusive lifestyle. It isn’t easy to stop drinking. Programs like AA exist to help people quit drinking and become normal citizens who don’t reach for a drink when they wake up each day.

Paul told Timothy to use wine for his stomach’s sake.

1 Timothy 5:23 No longer drink only water but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

He told Timothy to use a little wine. Not to drink it to excess and only for medicinal purposes.

Yeshuwa drank wine during the Passover ceremony at the Lord’s Supper.

Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Iesous took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Pater’s kingdom.”

Alcohol consumption isn’t wrong. Excess is what makes it wrong and dangerous for all those who drink. It can kill.

You know Satan is your enemy. He will use your past against you. If you were an alcoholic before you became a Christian, he will do everything he can to destroy your Christian walk, even kill you with alcohol.

John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (NKJV)

Satan is a thief. He destroys your life. He makes you believe your salvation isn’t real, and for an alcoholic that spells danger. Christians will go back to drinking in excess. That excess could kill you.

Hold onto the promise Yeshuwa gives in the second part of that verse. He promises life and life more abundantly. You can’t have an abundant life if your life is found at the bottom of a bottle.

Get help before it’s too late. Don’t let Satan rob you of a full life in Yeshuwa Christos. Don’t believe his lies. Yeshuwa loves you. He wants to set you free from your addictions.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (NKJV)

The next time you want to grab a bottle of alcohol, call a friend, do whatever you can to walk away from the lie that you need another drink.

Let’s pray: Father, Your love keeps me away from Satan’s lies that I need something else instead of You. Help me in those moments of temptation to seek You and other believers who can help me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 17 August 2026 by Valerie Routhieaux

Blessing for today:

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. (NKJV)