Psalm 15:5 (MSG) Keep your word even when it costs you

Psalm 15:5  (The Message)
A David Psalm

5"Keep your word even when it costs you,
make an honest living
      never take a bribe.

"You'll never get
blacklisted
if you live like this."

This Psalm lists several important do's and don'ts - but of this list, I specifically chose the set of do's out of the list for a couple of reasons.  The first is that it is impossible to live by don'ts.  The only way to be successful at don't is to focus on do's.  The second reason is that lying becomes a significant part of the problem(s) in the life of an addict that suffers.

At first, a lie seems easy.  "It won't hurt anybody," we think.  It's just a white lie - or sometimes it's just an omission.  "What they don't know won't hurt them," we tell ourselves.  The lies certainly seem easier than the alternative of getting caught doing something wrong.  Eventually though all the lies, cover ups and hiding grows until it becomes impossible to keep consistent.  It's quite literally a hell that becomes unbearable.  Then we start our recovery and we see all those lies aren't necessary.  We don't have to be perfect.  We don't have to worry about how people perceive us along as we're authentic to ourselves.  There it is it, eventually it becomes obvious that the person who suffered the most of all at the hands of our lies were ourselves.  So once we could shed the lies we could become the person God intended us to be.

Dear Lord, I am grateful.  Grateful for your truth.  Grateful for the plan you have for me.  Most of all I am grateful that you keep your word.  Be with those who are still suffering from an addiction.  The ones who are buried in their own lies.  Show them there is a better way.  A way, in your word, where the lies are not necessary.  A way, where it will be easier for them to keep their word.  A way, where they can be happier and have greater peace.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 14:4 (MSG) Treating people like a fast food meal

Psalm 14:4 (The Message)
A David Psalm

⁴Don't they know anything,
      all of these impostors?
Don't they know
      they can't get away with this -
Treating people like a fast food meal
      over which they are too busy to pray?

I struggled with this psalm today.  After going through several of the verses I finally decided on verse 4 as having the most meaning to my recovery.  In particular, for line about eating up "people like a fast food meal."  Our society teaches us we can treat people like objects or statistics.  People have become target markets, eyes on a website, and demographics of liberals and conservatives part of red and blue states.  So, it should not come as a surprise when we feel like we are objectified.  This, to me, is one of the saddest things of what our society has come to.

We've lost the stories of the people.  Everyone of us has a story, which is comprised of many many smaller stories.  These stories are God's plan for us and every one of them is unique and important.  Some are tales of adventure while others are stories of persistence and perseverance.  Yet, we disregard those of others while we try to make our own seem more important.  We have to stop this, stop treating people like fast food meals.  We need to listen to other people's stories and treat them with the dignity they deserve, as another one of God's children.  For it will require that we start doing this, ourselves, can we expect that others will do it as well.  Only then will we start to see a difference in the way society views people - not as statistics but as individual children of God.

Dear Lord, be with us today as we do more to value our brothers and sisters.  Help us to make time and put away our distractions so we can focus on their stories.  For we know that hearing these stories will bring understanding.  Understanding then creates bonds of respect and friendship.  This respect and these friendships are part of your light - and through your light we will have peace.  This message of peace, after all, is the message Jesus that we celebrate every year at Christmas.  Help us spread and celebrate this message of peace, by sharing stories, especially now in this time of lent.  Through this let us, at the same time, experience your peace and bring your peace to others.  For you have taught us that it is only in giving that we shall receive.  All this we pray in your name.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 13:3 (MSG) I want to look life in the eye

Psalm 13:3  (The Message)
A David Psalm

³Take a good look at me, GOD, my God;
      I want to look life in the eye

It takes courage to look life in the eye.  Often courage that I'm not sure that I have.  Courage to take risks.  Courage to take responsibility.  Courage to be honest to tell people things they don't want to hear.  Sometimes I think if I only could have more courage my recovery would be easier.  I guess that's true, part of the journey of recovery is becoming stronger, and finding courage in situations where hid before.  So today I will pray that my recovery will help me find the courage that I need.

Dear Lord be with us give us the courage and strength we need to successful in our recovery.  The change we face in recovery is hard.  There are times when I am ready to sleep but I know I need to be strong to face the challenge of the situation.  Be with me at that time that I may look life in the eye and face the challenge.  There are times when I am in distress and my mind is racing.  Be with me at that time to calm my mind and bring me peace, that I may look life in the eye.  I pray that you will do this for all my brothers and sisters in recovery.  Whether they are just starting the journey of recovery or 10 years into the recovery, we all need your support.  All this we pray in your name, Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 12:6-8 (MSG) God, keep us safe from their lies

Psalm 12:6-8 (The Message)
A David Psalm

^6-8God's words are pure words,

Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as is in heaven.
GOD, keep us safe from their lies,
From the wicked who stalk us with lies,
From the wicked who collect honors
For their wonderful lies.

We are bombarded with images about what our lives should look like.  Bombarded with advertisements about all of the things we should have.  Bombarded with images about what success should look like.  An example of these images, is how alcohol ads show drinking beer is an essential thing that you must do with friends - implying that drinking alcohol is the way to guarantee a good time.  We all know the implied and promised messages in ads aren't true.  We all know that none of those things bring true happiness.  We all know it's all lies.

Yet, somehow we get sucked in to hype.  Eventually, progressively chasing these things turns into a habit, then into something that's mandatory, and finally we lose control.  Whether it's from gambling, drinking, sex addiction, or shopping addiction.  The stories are all the very similar.  Somehow, the ads never show the problems that come from addiction - just the bliss.  The ads and images never show the bankruptcies, the lost relationships, or the broken careers.

That's why it's so important to follow and believe in the words of God.  They are pure.  God's promises are not about worldly wealth or success.  His idea of an abundant life is where we thrive with blessing that can't be measured, in love, in happiness.  His word and His promises see through the lies of the companies and people, who benefit from our addictions and our downfall.  The companies care only about their own success and profitability.  They don't care about addiction or the ruin that addiction creates.  They stalk us looking for ways to keep us "loyal" - adding more alcohol, sugar, or caffeine making their products more addictive.  But God, and his word, is pure.  We will be safe if we follow His word.

Dear God, thank you for your word.  Continue to keep us safe from the wicked who bombard and stalk us with lies.  Help us see through the lies, and that happiness does not come from having or consuming a particular product.  Help us, rather, see that happiness comes from living in your word.  Continue to remind us that it is in giving that will shall receive.  Let us not forget that it is in our forgiveness that we will be forgiven, and that it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.  All this we pray in your name, Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 11:7 (MSG) God loves getting lines straight

Psalm 11:7  (The Message)
A David Psalm

⁷God's business is putting things right;

      he loves getting the lines straight,
Setting us straight.  Once we're standing tall,
      we can look him straight in the eye.

Discipline is a difficult thing.  It's hard to hear you're not doing something right.  It's hard to get up every morning and exercise.  It's hard make to sacrifices during lent.  It's hard to go through every psalm.  It's hard to avoid addiction everyday when your brain tells you you're going to explode without the next shot of dopamine.  All of this, though, helps to get things straight - and getting things straight is God's business.

Looking for inspiration, I googled, "God loves getting things straight" and I found this quote from C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity, which I think captures the challenge with the change that God is bringing in our lives as he straightens things up:

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

Dear God, help me to straighten up.  Give me courage as embark on this journey of change and prepare me the difficulties of those transitions.  I want to become that palace where you will come to live.  Help set me straight so that I can stand straight and look you in the eye.   Help me prepare for the journey you have in store for me.  Help me understand the changes you are making in my life.  Help me understand the parts of my life that I need to let go of.  So, that I may help you build the house in which you want to live.  For all this pray in your name, Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 10:14 (MSG) But you know all about it...You won't let them down

Psalm 10:14 (The Message)

¹⁴But you know all about it-
      the contempt, the abuse.
I dare to believe that the luckless
      will get lucky someday in you.
You won't let them down:
      orphans won't be orphans forever.

There will be days that we feel like God has deserted us.  Things will go wrong.  We will experience pain.  We all have those days.  It is in those days that we are tested.  It will be tempting to quench the sting of our pain with our addiction.  It will be important though that we maintain our faith in our higher power, in God.

Maintaining faith in the face of pain or disappointment is one of the hardest things to learn.  For me, it's about remembering past experiences where things have turned around.  When things have gone from unsalvageable to being truly good.  Sometimes those turnarounds are slow, and sometimes they seem immediate.  Often the change comes in situations where I least expect it.  So, I've learned to look at all of my options.  I try not to be surprised when the turn-around happens.  Although, I still seem to be surprised when it does happen.

Dear Lord, thank you for blessings.  Thank you for making the luckless lucky.  Thank you for giving families to the orphans.  Thank you for turning lives and situations around.  Help us to maintain our faith and positive attitude in the face of disappointment, loss, and pain.  Keep hope alive in us at all times as a demonstration of our faith in You.  Let us hold your light in times of darkness.  Where there is doubt, let us sow faith.  Where there is despair, let us be able to bring hope.  Grant that I not so much seek to be understood as to understand.  For it is in giving that we shall receive, and in forgiving that we are forgiven.  All this I pray in the name of Your son, and my savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 9:13-14 (MSG) I'll write the book on hallelujahs

Psalm 9:13-14 (The Message)
A David Psalm

Be kind to me, GOD;
     I've been kicked around long enough.
Once you've pulled me back
    from the gates of death,
I'll write the book on hallelujahs;
    on the corner of Main and First
    I'll hold a street meeting;
I'll be the song leader; we'll fill the air
    with salvation songs.

This section of psalm 9 is what covenants are written on.  How many times have we been at the end of our rope like this.  "God, I'm about to lose everything."  "God, my life is out of control."  "God, please, if I have another night like last night I know it will be my last on earth."  Then we tell him, "If You can fix it I will do anything for you."  Then once he does...well...we say, "Did I say anything?"  Then...we don't step up to our end of the deal.  We fall short on doing anything.  Sure, we do some things better, but we don't do anything.  We don't hold street meetings.  We don't write the book on hallelujahs.  We don't fill the air with salvation songs.

Today that changes.  Today, I stop forgetting the role God plays in my life.  Today, with no imminent crisis, I keep my covenant with God to put him first.  I fill the air with salvation songs.  I will love people the way Jesus to love.  I become the light in the world that He intends me to be.  I will make reparations to those I have hurt.

God, many times I have failed to hold up my end of our bargain.  Many times I have fallen short in our covenant.  Nevertheless, you continue to shower me with your grace and your blessings.  For all of those gifts, and that forgiveness, I am grateful.  Today I will make your will my priority.  For this God, I will need you to fill me with courage - courage to put you before others in my life.  For this I will need you to fill me with patience - patience to wait on you, Lord.  Most of all, Lord, I will need you to fill me with faith - faith that your will, and no other way, is the ultimate path for my life.  I think of the challenges and opportunities you have put before me and I will need these three things to be honest and true to our deal.  Thank you, Lord, for your protection and your guidance.  All this I pray in your name, Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.