the older women likewise,
that they be reverent in behavior,
not slanderers,
not given to much wine,
teachers of good things—
Titus 2:3
LORD Jesus, we praise You our Creator. Forgive us, O God we pray, whenever we doubt that You are the sovereign, mighty God who is above all people and governments and above all circumstances. Whatever burden we may carry, LORD, You are the One who is in control and therefore the One who can help us. Let us draw near to our Maker and know that He is a merciful God and Savior. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen.
READ — Today’s verse:
The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, NOT GIVEN TO MUCH WINE, teachers of good things—
(Emphasis mine)
ENGAGE — Think. Fill in the blank. (Copy/Paste – NKJV)
The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, _____ _____ _____ _____ _____, teachers of good things—
Not given: The original Greek word here is douloō and comes from doulos which means slave or bondservant (in a literal or figuratively sense). In other words, not given here means that we should not enslave ourselves or be under the bondage of much wine.
APPLY — What to do and not to do.
Now we could substitute the word wine with many other things like food, especially snacks and sweets, certain kinds of drinks, like coffee or soda, and even some medications which we so voluntarily take without even thinking of their minor or major side-effects.
What are some of the things you are addicted to? Are you struggling to give up a bad habit?
DO — Think and Pray:
I had tried to quit smoking over and over again, but I did not succeed. Yes, I did okay for a while, but then something that was hard to cope with entered my life. I suffered a relapse; and another one, and another one, and so on. Finally I just gave up on trying to quit.
The longer I was a Christian, though, the worse I felt about smoking. One day I got on my knees and cried out to God for help. “I want to quit. What can I do? How will this bad habit ever be broken?” This is what He has asked me to do: “Fast!”
From that day on I fasted all day long. In the evening I had two choices: to smoke and enjoy a cigarette or to eat a lovely meal. Well, from day one and onward I chose the meal. For me it took about 40 days until that bad habit was completely broken. That was 16 years ago.
Please do consult your family doctor first before going on a fast. I will do a series on fasting in the near future. So please stay tuned.
Pray and trust for the LORD to break your bondage.