Day 21 – 90 Days in Proverbs - Drink of Choice

Proverbs 5:15-20 [NKJV] 15 15 Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. 16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? 17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. 18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful deer--may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. 20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man's wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

This segment of Proverbs 5 speaks directly about being faithful in marriage. Verse 18 ties all the flowery talk about water and wells, and intoxication directly to being content in marriage. This segment boils down to Solomon’s advice to: “love your own wife and not someone else’s”.

Lack of fidelity in marriage is a problem in modern times - just as it was back then. As we have discussed before, Solomon had some history with that, given that the relationship between his father, David, and his mother, Bathsheba, began with adultery.

However, if we look at this segment in a broader sense, we can see that it could easily be applied to any part of our blessings. In a broader sense, this segment of Proverbs tells us to “be happy with what we have.”

It reminds me of Exodus 20:17 [NIV] "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

A lack of contentment with what we have, a lack of thankfulness for the blessing in our lives, can lead to sinful actions like adultery or stealing. If I am happy with my own blessings, I would not seek someone else’s goods. This is support by 1 Timothy 6:6 [NKJV] which tells us Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

This world breeds discontentment. In every TV, radio or social media commercial and in every glossy magazine touting the new car, bigger TV, more powerful phone, designer handbag or fresh lipstick color is the subtle (or maybe not so subtle) hint that what I have isn’t good enough.

Proverbs 5 doesn’t just tell me to stay away from what others have that I don’t, it also encourages me to enjoy what I do have – to drink from the well of blessings that God has already given me. That may include a mate, a car, a job, a home, etc.

If we are busy drinking from our own well of blessings - enjoying them, maybe using some of those blessings to help others, and always being thankful for what we have - we will never be thirsty for the blessings of others. 

So, drink up, sweet sisters.

Prayer — Father God, You have given me so much. Most especially I am thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and for the mercy and grace you have given to me through Him. But I also have so much more. My blessings include (list your own) and I will be thankful for them. I will enjoy these great blessings – the spiritual and physical – and drink up of the goodness You have given to me. Help me always to do so. If I had nothing but Your love I would be blessed beyond measure, but you have chosen to give me more. Thank You for Your generosity it and love. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Your thoughts —  

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