Psalm 16 (KJV) - Thou wilt show me the path of life

From Psalms

Psalm 16
(A miktam of David)

¹Preserve me, O God:
      for in thee do I put my trust.
²O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord:
      my goodness extendeth not to thee;
³But to the saints that are in the earth,
      and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied
      that hasten after another god:
their drink offerings of blood will I not offer,
      nor take up their names into my lips.

⁵The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:
      thou maintainest my lot.
⁶The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;
      yea, I have a goodly heritage.

⁷I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel:
      my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
⁸I have set the LORD always before me:
      because he is at my right hand,
      I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:
      my flesh also shall rest in hope.
¹⁰For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Sheol);
      neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
¹¹Thou wilt show me the path of life:
      in thy presence is fullness of joy;
      at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

The life of an addict is no life at all.  It is full of desperation.  It is full of pain and sorrow.  It is full of confusion.  It is full of failure.

Thankfully there is recovery in the 12 steps and in a higher power.  I am reading a great book right now called The Making of a Disciple, by Keith Phillips.  In it he puts a new perspective on Step 3 for me.  In it he talks about self death - the dying of self.  In my case, the person I was as an addict, and replacing it with God.

For me this makes a lot of sense to me - as the path of life.  Specifically because the life I had (as an addict) was empty and truly was no life at all.  However, through God I am experiencing a new joy and new pleasures.  Truly I have a long way to go to what Dr. Phillips expresses as a true disciple, but I think I'm heading in the right direction.  There are many similarities between what Dr. Phillips calls discipling and being a sponsor in twelve step programs.  So, as I make my way through the last four steps I think he has helped give me guidance and goals to aim for in my 12 step journey.

Thanks for letting me share.