Dead-end Solutions

Read Proverbs 23

Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper.

Proverbs 23:31-32

A piece of eraser easily serves as a missing earring back. Bubblegum can substitute for glue in a pinch. And some say duct tape can fix anything. Quick fixes do wonders for the time being, yet they rarely have anything to offer in the long run. Alcohol and drug abuse are common quick-fix solutions to life’s problems. However, as this proverb points out, in the end they prove more than useless—they are deadly. People often actually wind up in greater trouble than when they first started.

Alcohol abuse is initially appealing as a means of escape—especially for people who have lost the ability to see an alternate solution. However, over time, alcohol leads a person to become progressively worse in order to feel better. The Bible calls it deception. We may try a number of ways to deal with our problems, but “in the end” they fail to provide relief. A true solution is one that both gets us through problems and makes us better people.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Some roads are not even worth starting out on.

Today, Lord, forgive me for trying to solve my problems without your help. Help me to turn to you for solutions.