You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast. “They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I didn’t know it! When will I wake up? I’ll look for another drink.” Proverbs 23:34-35 HCSB
Wikipedia reports that Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio. AA states that its primary purpose is “to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety”. With other early members Wilson and Smith developed AA’s Twelve Step program of spiritual and character development. There are over two million members of Alcoholics Anonymous.
These verses reflect a picture of someone who is addicted to alcohol and constantly looking for the next drink. When drinking, a person loses his ability to feel physical and emotional pain. Once sober, the person begins to feel pain and only seeks another drink to dull the pain. The best way to keep from becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs is to abstain from both. If one never takes the first drink, he does not have to worry about becoming addicted.
Challenge: Abstain from alcohol and drugs. Pray for those who are addicted to alcohol. Encourage them to participate in a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous and to seek treatment.