Psalm 91 (KJV):I will set him on high, because he hath known my name

From Psalms

Psalm 91

¹He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
      shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:
      my God; in him will I trust.

³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
      and from the noisome pestilence.
⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers,
      and under his wings shalt thou trust:
      his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;
      nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;
      nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side,
      and ten thousand at thy right hand;
      but it shall not come nigh thee.
⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold
      and see the reward of the wicked.

⁹Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge,
      even the most High, thy habitation;
¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee,
      neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
      to keep thee in all thy ways.
¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands,
      lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
¹³Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:
      the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

¹⁴Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:
      I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:
      I will be with him in trouble;
      I will deliver him, and honour him.
¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him,
      and shew him my salvation.

Despite giving up radio and TV for lent, I still woke up this morning with Kutless' Everything I need playing in my head..."When every step is so hard to take, and all of my hope is fading away...You are strength in my weakness, You are the refuge I seek." (see verse 2, 9).  I guess nothing is a coincidence because that song and this psalm seem to be singing the same song of praise and worship.  At least that's my perspective.

I thank God for the strength to be sober - and strength that sobriety has brought into my life.  I thank God for the refuge of prayer - so that I don't have to seek the refuge of porn or a bottle of wine.  For the refuge of prayer gives me the strength to be sober.  God has set his love upon me and he shown his love with his gift of strength and sobriety.  He is in with me in trouble and in my victories.  He delivers me and shows me salvation.  I am grateful for all this - and which addict in this world would not be.

I was reading today about shopping addicts, where the addictive pattern is driven by the process of spending money.  Where shopping itself is found to be pleasurable, or even ecstatic.  Something I cannot relate to but can identify with in the way my addictions made me feel.  Not unlike other addictions, shopping is an escape, short-lived only to fall back into a tragic reality of the issues at hand with debt, regret, and disappointment.  Only to be followed by more shopping sprees which only serve to heighten the problems being faced.

In any case, today, I offer a prayer for the shopping addicts that still suffer.  That they may come to admit the powerlessness that they have over shopping.  That they admit the problem they have.  That they come to see that their life has become unmanageable and that he seek help.  Especially the help of a higher power.  That God guide them in their journey to recovery.  That God help them find a meeting and guide them to the 12 steps.  That he deliver them from the evils that shopping has brought into their lives and give them a refuge away from that.  A refuge that keeps them sober of shopping and strengthens them in His word.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.