INDICATORS OF WICKED LIVING (PART 6)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer!”

Isaiah 56:12a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I think one of the saddest things I continuously witnessed during my more than 28 years in the United States Navy was the number of men and women who messed up their lives and careers because they couldn’t control their consumption of alcohol. It’s been no secret that drinking has been a part of the military culture for the ages but there is a fine line between drinking recreationally in moderation and drinking in a way that is counterproductive and damaging to a person and those close to them.

It’s little wonder why the scriptures would warn about misuse of alcohol and include it in the indicators of wicked living. Look at the simple half verse in today’s excerpt from Isaiah 56:

“Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer!”  Isaiah 56:12a

Note here that the focus of the sinner isn’t to get started on carrying out the Lord’s will and way. There isn’t an eagerness to fulfill His purposes. The object of the attention has nothing to do with Him but everything to do with the wine and beer. This is the main symptom of someone who has developed a wickedness when it comes to alcohol usage. The object of their affection and attention is the alcohol. Everything else becomes secondary.

Alcohol becomes more important than work.

Alcohol becomes more important than family.

Alcohol becomes more important than the Lord.

In other words, alcohol becomes more important to a person than anything else and the incessant desire for it completely drives every choice and decision they make.

Now ask yourself why substance abuse and the associated decline into addiction qualifies as an indicator of wicked living.

Maybe you have seen this happen to someone like I have. Maybe you are the person I am talking about. In either case, help is needed for the person affected before it’s too late and while I am on the subject of help, let me add that the source of help is paramount to ensure a person is completely wrestled away from the substance they have abused.

Where is that source of help found?

Only in the Lord God Almighty, the only One who can give a person the strength and power to break free from sin, not only the sin of substance abuse but any sin for that matter. No one can do it on their own and there is no earthly resource that can do what the Lord can do.

This is why a twelve step program to break away from addiction first has a person admit they have a problem and then realize that they need a higher power to help them resolve that problem. The programs typically don’t come out and say that the higher power is God but anyone who knows truth in life, knows that it’s Him and alone.

God is the One who can do all things. God is the One who has power and authority over heaven and earth. God and God alone is the One who can deliver and redeem us from sin and anything that manifests in it the lives of people.

For the sake of this devotion, know and trust this. God is greater than any substance and can remove the bondage it may have placed on any of His children.

Yes, substance abuse and addiction is as real today as it was in Old Testament times but so is the God who is greater.

That is something that will never change.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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