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12 STEP RECOVERY DEVOTIONAL

8/12/2015

STEP 4 FAMILY INFLUENCE.....God said in NEH 9 "Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws. So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment!"

The psychology here is pretty clear. Our family of origin and others in authority over us when we were children, have all affected us greatly and in a sense we are not our fault! God also says in Proverbs that as children are trained up, that is how they will be when they are old.

When I came to Christ I became HIS child and now I am growing up in Him.... I am a brand new person and my life is a clean slate for Him to write on. Now he is training me up through His Word and His grace and all the tools of recovery He has given us. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are my new family of origin and so are my beloved family who are also in Christ! Thanks for listening!

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RECOVERY VOWS

5/1/2015

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CLICK HERE TO READ PSALM 61:1-8 To me this Psalm speaks of my recovery plan (vows). My vows/plan is committed to God, myself and one other person but God is the power in the keeping of them -- "my towering rock of safety", "my safe refuge", "a fortress where my enemies can't reach me", "a safe sanctuary beneath the shelter of His wings." That is why I cry to Him for help to keep my recovery vows. I'm so glad that recovery is the inheritance reserved for me as I work the steps in Jesus' power and name. He watches over me with unfailing love and faithfulness and that is why I sing praises to His name today! Join me won't you?

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IDOL WORSHIP? WHO ME?

3/25/2015

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READ JUDGES 16:1-31

What is the 'dangerous self-deception' in this story of Samson and Delilah? Didn't they "love" each other? To some it would seem so! But was it healthy love? Absolutely not! It was 'Codependent' love!

Codependency is focusing on someone or something other than God to meet needs that can only be perfectly met in Him. Needs such as self-worth, unconditional love, guidance, protection, provision, etc. Yes, we can desire, enjoy and appreciate the love of someone else but because they are mere humans like us and not the Almighty, All-knowing, All-wise, God who IS love, they cannot love us perfectly.

We enter into Codependent love when we look to someone else to make us 'ok' and don't look FIRST to God. They then become a 'god' to us - a 'false god' - an idol! So Codependency is quite frankly idolatry. We may not be in a 'heathen' land worshiping gods of wood and stone but even in our so called 'civilized' country, we can have other people up on our little 'idol' shelf, expecting them to somehow come through and make our world spin for us. This keeps us in bondage to them........either trying to control them or being controlled by them.

It didn't end well for Samson and Delilah. She may have gotten money but she didn't get her man and a loving relationship and he lost his sight and eventually his life. Just like Samson and Delilah, if we look for love and security in the wrong places, we are in a 'dangerous' self-deception'

Father God, today I look to you as the one and only Higher Power who can fill me with your love and security and meet every need I have. Amen

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REACH OUT!

3/18/2015

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CLICK HERE TO READ MARK 8:34-38

This poor lady had a sickness for years and had spent all she had to find a cure but to no avail. Tentatively, secretly, she reached out to Jesus and was immediately cured.

All of us with Hurts, Habits and Hang-ups - as we say in Celebrate Recovery - who have spent a fortune to try to get a cure, will find deliverance if we will only reach out with a tiny (mustard seed) bit of faith to Jesus. It can happen - I know! For years now, I have reached out (most days) with my tiny, mustard seed faith and am seeing my Hurts, Habits, and Hang-ups being cured before my very eyes. Perfection? No! But much progress all praise and glory to Jesus!

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HOPE IN THE HOLY ONE!

3/11/2015

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CLICK HERE TO READ JOB 6:2-13

Job was so honest! He didn't sugar coat in 'God talk' how he was feeling. Just listen to him, 'My sadness and troubles are as heavy as all the sands of the sea. I am sick and tired of this! You are killing me God! In fact, I wish you would just kill me! I'm SO done! I can't go on! I've hit the bottom!' This guy was not in denial!

It didn't seem that there was any hope at all for Job. But although he was honestly expressing his hopeless feelings in his pain and suffering, he also expressed something else that more than balanced the scales for hope of recovery. In verse 9 Job says, 'At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not despised the words of the Holy One.'

Yes, Job expressed with great emotion a vivid description of his pain and suffering but he also knew in the midst of it where his hope for recovery lay.......in the Holy One, in God!

When we feel like Job, we can express honestly what we feel and not deny our pain and suffering but we also can turn our eyes at the same time to the Holy One who will care for us in it, carry us through it and deliver us out of it.

God, today I honestly admit my feelings to you about...............
But I also thank You for caring for me in it all, that You will carry me through it and that You will deliver me from it as I keep my eyes on You, the Holy One! Amen

CLICK HERE TO WORSHIP THE HOLY ONE WITH JOB!

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SHEEP HERDER!!

3/3/2015

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"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and
carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11

The Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, is pictured many times in
the Bible as a Shepherd God. This may not be shocking to modern readers
– most of us don’t know much about sheep herding beyond the few sentimental
ideas we may have about rural life. But nothing was more ordinary in biblical
times than sheep herding. It was a dirty job. It was a low prestige job.
A shepherd lived with his sheep. Day and night he was with them............

THIS IS A MEDITATION FROM THE NACR............READ MORE BY CLICKING HERE!

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HUMIILITY PART 2

2/20/2015

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To follow up on the 'humility' theme from a few days ago, I found this 3 X 5 card that I have kept for over 30 years. I used to read it daily that many years ago and just dug it out recently. Still relevant and still need the reminder! Maybe you will write it out on a 3X5 and read it along with me. :)

LET EVERY DAY BE A DAY OF HUMILITY
-condescend to all the weaknesses & infirmities of your fellow-creatures
-cover their frailties
-love their excellencies
-encourage their virtues
-relieve their wants
-rejoice in their prosperities (not a word according to spell check but oh well! :)
-compassionate their distress
-receive their friendship
-overlook their unkindness
-forgive their malice
-be a servant of servants
-condescend to do the lowliest office of the lowest of mankind

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HUMILITY

2/17/2015

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2 KINGS 5:1-15 Have you ever heard someone say, "I'm so humble and I'm proud of it!" :) Cute joke but what is humility? How do we get it?

In this passage, we see that Naaman, the commander of the king's army, had a major problem in his life and it wasn't going away. Leprosy! No known cure for it on the planet! He heard from his wife's maid that a prophet in Samaria could cure him and so off he went.......lickety split! Wouldn't you? But what happened upon his arrival was not to his liking at all! In fact, he became angry and suggested there must be another way to get cured besides dunking up and down in a dirty river.

Recovery from those things that I still struggle with, my behavioural 'leprosys' shall we call them, has come with a similar price tag............a very humbling and distasteful price tag. Over the years, as I walked with the Lord, 'I' had overcome many of my hurts, habits and hang-ups without a lot of outside help. But slowly I began to realize that there were a couple of areas that I struggled in and they weren't under my control AT ALL. Thankfully, like Naaman, I was directed to where I could get help but also like Naaman, I had to realize that the cure came with a price tag. Yes......humility! In order to be cured, I had to realize that I'm not God and am not able to control my own life and I had to join the human race...........just be one of the people so to speak........much like Naaman had to. As well, like Naaman, I had to be willing to take direction and follow it, instead of always being the one giving direction and expecting others to follow it.

Yes, my recovery from my struggles depends on doing the same things I would tell others to do. Work the 12 Steps, pray and meditate on God's Word, meet with others with similar struggles for support, plan your work and work your plan, get accountability, get busy and serve others, etc. etc.

Okay, back to our original question. How do we get humility? Well, my answer is not necessarily the only one but I would have to say from the example of Naaman that humility may be seen in a person when they recognize they aren't God and can't control everything in their life and when they are willing to look for outside help and follow direction. Just my observations! Hope it helps!

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COURAGE TO CHANGE

2/10/2015

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GOD, GRANT ME SERENITY
TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE
THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN
AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
AMEN!

When we pray for "courage to change the things we can'' we realize that change requires giving up old familiar ways to try something new. Even though the old ways were painful, at least they were familiar. Turning them in for new ways feels risky; where will it lead me?

But 'nothing ventured...........nothing gained'! We'll never know if we don't try! Trying something new, means being vulnerable. Are we ready, now, to take risks for something we really want?

God, today, I can take a small risk in the interest of enriching my life. I continue to ask for Serenity, Acceptance, Courage and Wisdom that comes through surrendering my life to my Higher Power Jesus Christ. Amen

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VALUABLE DUST!

2/3/2015

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"As a man thinks in his heart so is he." Proverb 23:7

Want to change your life? Change your brain! This truth came to me quite powerfully years ago when my self worth was on the ground. I came to understand that it mattered very little what I thought about myself or even what I thought others thought about me. What mattered was what God thought about me.........and believe me He does think about me (and you)......a whole lot! Psalm 139:17-18

I really appreciate how Paul the Apostle put it. "It matters very little to me what you, or any man, thinks of me—I don’t even value my opinion of myself...............My only true judge is God himself." 1 Corinthians 4:3-4

How does God judge me? He says I am holy, blameless and beyond His disapproval because He took my sin away when I put my trust in the death of Christ on the cross for my forgiveness and cleansing. I now stand before Him in the righteousness life of Christ.

Yes, I know that we were made from dust and will return to dust (Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 3:20) and that doesn't seem like we are very valuable. But let me share with you this little reading I came across in a recovery meditation book. I'm sorry I don't have the author's name but it was such a beautiful and encouraging thought on the significance of our lives I had to share it with you.

Let us think of ourselves as made of dust, and allow us to be proud of it. For dust is everywhere. We see it in solemn rooms streaked by sun, dancing like fine angels in a cathedral light. It is the stuff of life. And it drifts down on fancy tables where the richest people eat. It cannot be denied a place. And it returns time and time again like the seasons. It is one of the wonders of the world. And when no one sees or cares, it finds a secret corner in which to keep a solitary peace. It intends no harm. We find it at home on old leather books, the ones that preserve our noblest thoughts. And from where we stand, it seems that even the stars are made of it.

Yes, even as dust, we have value! Occasionally (but not often mind you........all praise to my Saviour!) I may still feel low, unworthy, or useless, but I these feelings are only a reminder to change my brain and change my life! For I am made new............holy, blameless and beyond God's disapproval..........in Christ! And as they say...........it just doesn't get any better than that folks!

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