“It is not for kings, O Lemuel- not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer,” (Prov. 31:4)
Let’s continue our journey of tracking the Proverbs 31 woman; a journey that I know will yield riches in terms of knowledge, understanding, and insight.
Keep in mind though, that these riches are only possible for the seeking heart. God has promised to be found by those who seek him when they seek him with all their hearts.
Back to our verse of the day.
I am struck by these words in the verse:
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel- not for kings…”
Though this verse is directed at a king, we have several lessons to learn from it as women. Just like us, king Lemuel is human.
If you are set on the pilgrimage of being the noblewoman God wants you to be, like Lemuel, certain things might never be for you.
Often, you’ll see your Christian friends do certain things. Quickly, you’ll hear a voice say, “That’s not for you girl… that’s not for you.”
Let me give a simple illustration:
When I got born again, I had been an ardent reader of romance novels of all kinds as I’ve shared elsewhere in my posts.
I knew they were now not the will of God for me. (I don’t think they were before nor are they for any woman whose sole desire is to honor God in all they do) I stopped reading those.
Not long after that, I discovered the world of Christian romance. I began delving into them. I however had an unsettled feeling inside as I read.
I could tell, in the words of the queen mother, God was telling me: Not for you Clara, not for you.
I stopped reading those as well.
Don’t get me wrong: I am in no way implying Christian romance is sinful. I am simply illustrating the point that when you walk with the Lord, there are those things he’ll show you that is not for you.
There are certain places, certain programs, certain activities, and even certain events you’ll hear God say: “This is not for you my daughter”!
There is even a certain way God will lead you to conduct your life as a single woman, or as a family for a mother and father, that will not look like another Christian family.
We are uniquely gifted and loved by God. Conducting our lives, the way others are doing may not work out for our highest good.
Because you are his child, God knows you deeply and personally. He knows what is good for you. He knows what will be most helpful for your growth. He also knows what will bring him the greatest honor and glory through your life while being a blessing to others.
It is not his will that his name would be blasphemed among the nations because of us.
And here I like to add that what brings God the greatest honor and glory will be the most fulfilling for you and me.
Like king Lemuel’s mother reminded her son, so are we reminded. As royalty, people belonging to the great God and king, we must look to our God to show us how to live. We cannot afford to conduct our lives like everyone else.
What is the implication of this for you and me as women seeking to be women of noble character?
Three implications come to mind:
- You and I must learn to discern the voice of God to us through his Spirit.
Jesus said in John 10 that his sheep know his voice. To know when God is speaking to us or even warning us, we must learn to discern his voice.
We then must choose to obey. That’s the only way he will keep speaking and leading us by his Spirit.
We must raise our spiritual “antennae” as it were, especially in our very noisy generation that has many voices vying for our attention. Voices that are coming to us, especially from the media and peers.
The simple disciplines of walking daily with God in his word, in prayer; walking with him in fasting… are just some of those that will help you sharpen your spiritual antennae.
- We must learn to say NO.
When we learn to discern God’s voice, we will have to use this 2-letter word more often. When we start, we may use it so many times until our peers know us well enough to know what we stand for. They will eventually leave us alone.
It won’t be an easy road as some might think you’re going overboard with your standard. Keep at it. They will respect you for it.
Four young Jewish men were faced with somewhat of a dilemma; not a dilemma though because they already knew what they stood for.
They were supposed to eat the royal food assigned to them. They said no, requesting the man in charge to give them vegetables instead, as a test. God intervened on their behalf. You can find that story in Daniel 1.
God comes to the defense of those who trust in him enough to say no.
- Be baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit
This is for you who haven’t been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.
This is a vital process for the child of God, a process that will be essential in your pursuit of God.
I felt it necessary not to assume and leave this last implication out because it is the will of God for you and me.
God wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
If you’re not yet filled, ask him. Keep asking him. He says we are to seek him and seek him with all our hearts.
Seeking is not asking once, twice, or thrice. Seeking is asking and asking until he answers.
The process of asking is never in vain. He is working in you as you do so, forming you as a woman. He will fill you with His Spirit. I cannot say when; he alone knows when. Keep on asking. He will fulfill his promise in his time.
Do not be drunk with wine which leads to debauchery but be filled with the Holy Spirit.
This infilling of the Holy Spirit and the subsequent walking in the Spirit day by day will be helpful as you seek to discern his voice and seek to say ‘no’ to what he leads you to refrain from.
In conclusion, nowhere in the Bible have we been promised an easy walk. Jesus reminded us that narrow is the way that leads to life and few find it.
If you and I want to be among those few, we must heed his voice. We must be willing to walk differently; live differently; to please him in every way.
We are not doing this so that we can feel good because we are unique; even standing out in the crowd. No.
We may look unique; not because we are seeking to be unique but because we are simply obeying his voice and moving against the grain.
The choice to do so will not be easy as you might imagine. The benefits though are boundless, building up to eternal life.
Let’s, therefore, keep pressing on on this journey. Let’s keep our spiritual antennae sharp! It is worth it!
(In case you’d like more insight into the Proverbs 31 chapter, you can buy our book based on this passage right here on Amazon.)