Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. The arrogant mock me unmercifully, but I do not turn from your law. I remember, Lord, your ancient laws, and I find comfort in them. Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law. Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. In the night, Lord, I remember your name, that I may keep your law. This has been my practice: I obey your precepts. (Psalm 119:49-56 NIV)
Steadily moving forward in recovery is not easy. As we awaken out of the haze of years in addiction our minds are often assaulted with memories of things done to us and ways we have disappointed and harmed others. Sleepless nights and restless days challenge us. This is often most evident when we write out an honest summary of “our last 90 days,” or half-way through writing our moral inventory in Step 4 when we feel like there’s already so much ugliness on paper and there’s still so much more ground to cover. Sometimes we get through all that, only to be confronted with the pain and shame again, as we make a list of all persons we have harmed in Step 8.
God’s word of comfort to us today is for these kinds of times. His faithful promises of forgiveness and restoration are the basis for our hope and strength to move forward. We need to assure ourselves of God’s ability to work in all things for good. As we lie awake at night with our heads swirling with memories and anxieties, it’s time to remember that God is our refuge and strength, our comfort and peace. God is the one who opens the way before us and as the song says, God “opens up our future, closes our past”.
In fact, listening to praise and worship music is a wonderful way to be reminded of God’s goodness and to drive away the enemy’s accusations against us. We can replace the devil’s allegations with God’s encouraging and comforting words. God is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. God is with us. We never have to face our problems alone.
God will continue to heal and restore us and nothing, not even the ugliness of our past, can separate us from His love.
©2016 Partners in Hope
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Audio for Sunday, March 20, 2016
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