Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Deceived by a Drink
I’ll never forget what I saw as a ten-year old boy in downtown Washington, D.C. I saw a man walk up to a trash can, reach all the way down, bring out a soda can, and begin drinking that Coke as if he had purchased it. In New York City just a few years ago, I was in a little shop when a man blew in with the January wind, walked over to the trash can, pulled out what was left of an ice cream, got a spoon from the counter, and began to eat it. What in the world would compel a man to do such a horrible thing? Well, none of us should feel smug or look down at such people, but it is a fair question to ask. How did these people get in the position they are in right now? While there may be a number of answers, there can be no doubt that alcohol is often a culprit.
Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” That is a kind way of saying that a person who is controlled by alcohol is a fool. A drink strong enough to control the man who drinks it has already deceived him.
Wine will mock or make faces at you. Strong drink mocks you with things you wouldn’t say. Sometimes, a person tries to defend someone who is drunk by saying, “Well, that wasn’t them, it was the alcohol speaking.” No person in his right mind allows a drink to speak for him.
Alcohol will mock you with things you would not do. I have talked to law enforcement officers from around the country, and I’ve heard more than once that much of the crime they are dealing with, especially domestic, has alcohol as a prime contributor. No wise person allows alcohol to act for him.
Alcohol will mock you with places you wouldn’t go. So many people have gone further than they intended to go because they were no longer in control.
Anything I allow to control my life instead of the Holy Spirit of God is in competition with Him. So, who or what is in control of your life today? God loves you, Christ died for you, and He has offered to you the power of His own Spirit if you will trust Christ and depend on Him for daily victory. A drink strong enough to control the man who drinks it has already deceived him. There is a better way. Yield control of your life, actions, words, and thoughts to God Who knows best and loves us.