What happens when people “cast off restraint?” In I Timothy 5:23, Paul advocated using “a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” But Americans have taken drinking to a devastatingly harmful level. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 80,000 deaths are attributed to excessive alcohol use each year, with an average of 30 years of potential life lost for each death. That translates to 2.3 million years of life forfeited annually.

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint. Proverbs 29:18

Your problem may not be alcohol – a myriad of other vices may be robbing you of time and treasure. As you pray today, ask God to give you a prophetic vision of what your life will be when invested in service to Him and those around you who need God’s love and truth. The world celebrates “casting off restraint” as freedom and happiness…when in reality it leads to imprisonment and death. But when you embrace the plan God has for you and dedicate yourself wholly to the purposes of Heaven, your life will become disciplined, meaningful, and a blessing to those in your neighborhood and your nation who need Him.

Recommended Reading: I Peter 4:1-10