Proverbs 31 Woman part two

Now we will look at some of the advice King Lemuel recorded as being taught to him by his mother: In verse three we find two main warnings for the king; #1 Do not give your strength to women!  #2 Do not pursue ways which destroy kings!  Verse four continues to warn against wine & intoxicating drink with practical application; the king might drink too much & forget the law & pervert justice for the needy who look to the king for protection. Otherwise, the king has important responsibilities to protect others & he needs to be sober & sharp in his thoughts.  Mama finds helpful uses for the intoxicating drink in verses six & seven where she says " Give the strong drink to the dying & give wine to those who have miseries."  Hmmm...guess there is a time & a place for a bit of strong drink! I do know of a verse in the New Testament where Paul advises young Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach ailments. In verses 8 & 9 mama continues to remind Lemuel of his kingly responsibilities; speak out for the poor & needy, plead their cause, & administer justice.  Yes, king Lemuel had a position of protection for the lives of his people. Chasing women & getting drunk would clearly inhibit his ability to perform his duties & his people would suffer from neglect. Have you ever heard stories of fathers or mothers given over to alcoholism or deserting their families to pursue affairs with other partners. Their families certainly suffer from neglect. God doesn't give us taboos without good reason. We have a responsibility to love Him & then to love others. When we don't fulfill our responsibilities, others suffer from our neglect.    Next time we begin to look at the positive qualities of a Godly woman. This Godly woman is considered an asset to her husband in every way! This is a totally positive portrayal of a woman & I love this because sadly, we hear about & see so many negative role models. This proverbs 31 woman is a truly positive role model. We need to learn something from her!      Love & prayers, in Jesus, Cynthia