God’s Solutions for Today’s Problems #11

Our passage from the Word of God today is Jeremiah 17:7. It reads, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.”

Our quote for today is from Hannah Whitall Smith. She said, “If I am walking along the street with a very disfiguring hole in the back of my dress, of which I am in ignorance, it is certainly a very great comfort to me to have a kind friend who will tell me of it. And similarly it is indeed a comfort to know that there is always abiding with me a divine, all-seeing Comforter, who will reprove me for all my faults, and will not let me go on in a fatal unconsciousness of them.”

Our problem today is “The Problem of Addictions in Your Life” (part 5) from the book, “The Guide to Biblical Counseling” by Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Ron Hawkins.

Isaiah 5:11 says, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!”

Many alcoholics are so dependent on alcohol that they begin early in the morning and continue drinking until late at night. The tragedy of addiction is that it controls and dominates the desires and choices of the addicted. The even greater tragedy is that addicted people reject the Lord’s work in their lives. God alone can provide the lasting comfort, joy, and relief that people mistakenly seek in alcohol.

Hosea 3:3 says, “And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.”

Addictions are powerful enemies to our relationship with God. Whether the addiction is to alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, web-surfing, shopping, or whatever, addicted people can attest to their seeming inability to control their desires. Addictions usually begin very subtly — an experience, substance, or individual that brings pleasure begins to become an obsession. Eventually, the obsession takes control. Rarely can a person escape the addiction without some form of intervention. Addicts must determine to change, replace the addictive substance/behavior with something more wholesome.

Addictions destroy individuals, families, friendships, reputations, and careers. Addictions make people victims of their own desires. Despite all this, God offers hope to the addict. God want to free His people from anything that takes His rightful place in their lives. He wants to show them that He can meet all their needs. With God’s help and the compassionate accountability of other believers, addicts can be set free — bought back. Jesus has already paid the price.

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