Is there someone out there around the world battling with an addiction who is crying out to God for deliverance? It may be alcohol, or pornography (a real addiction if ever there was one!), drugs, tobacco, illicit sex, unclean thoughts and imaginings, on and on.
Yes, and appetite!
(1) There is power in the actual words of the Bible, in the Bible itself rather than in some book about the Bible, for “the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12). Get your own Bible, invest in a good one with center markings, a Bible you can mark up as your own personal Book. Treat God in a business-like way; buy the Bible that will be your life-long companion. Let God see that you are serious. He is more than willing to listen to you call on Him for help and respond; but it’s only fair that you be serious.
(2) Sinful as you are, weak and in captivity to your addiction, “come” to Him and be honest; tell Him exactly how you feel. Very likely you have also, together with your addiction, a hatred for someone whom you blame for your problems. Tell God all about it; lay it all out before Him. He won’t zap you; an honest visit with Him will give you evidence that He is real. And for sure, He will convict you deep in your soul of your wrongs, your wrong attitude, let Him lay it on. If you go see a doctor you usually wait around in the waiting room for a while; give the Lord Jesus some time, “waiting” on Him. He is the Divine Psychiatrist. Don’t run from Him. He can “tell” you more in a few minutes than you can learn from books in many hours.
(3) He has promised to heal you of your addictions, your obsessions, your fears; but He must have your cooperation. There comes the time when you MUST make the choice; choose to give the evil thing up forever. But note carefully: not promise, no, but choose. You realize that of yourself you are powerless to gain this victory. You must confess the truth. You’ve floundered around up and down for decades, constantly making resolutions, breaking them all and sinking your soul deeper and deeper in despair. God never asks you to make good-for-nothing promises! God made seven grand promises to Abraham but did not ask him to promise anything in return; what God wanted was for Abraham to believe His promises! (cf. Gen. 12:2,
3). Then ask the Lord Jesus to accept your choice, ask Him to save you.
(4) The hardest thing you will ever have to do is to BELIEVE the truth: (a) He loves you even if your parents never did; (b) He hears you; (c) He is faithful and won’t forsake you; (d) He wants you to address Him as “Father” (Rom. 8:15; Matt. 6:6-13).
Some dear soul will tell you no, the hardest thing you will have to do is to obey the Ten Commandments. Take a look: there is a Preamble in verse 2 of Exodus 20. Believe that Preamble, and then the Ten Commandments become ten promises. The Law is not there to punish you, but it is a “Schoolmaster” whose job will be to lead you as by the hand around to Jesus, that you might experience justification by faith (Gal. 3:22-24). That makes you obedient to all the commandments of God.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 3, 2007.Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
