GOD IS IN THE DARKNESS

Addiction to alcohol and other drugs has grown beyond the bleakest of predictions. At present there are an estimated 23 million people in United States who are struggling with active addiction. This means they are using drugs daily or almost daily. There is no way to describe the darkness and horrible consequences addiction is having on our society. This Darkness includes such things as job loss, incarceration, loss of child custody, DUI's, domestic violence, marital problems and divorce, accidents, financial problems, depression, worry, anger and babies born with drugs already in their little bodies. Much of the darkness in our life is self-made. Moses led the children of Israel out of captivity in Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, and came to Mount Sinai. It was there that God gave the 10 Commandments and other laws to the Jews. When God called the people to the mountain, “There were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount.” The people were frightened when God spoke from that mountain. They were in such awe of the Almighty Creator that they asked that Moses be allowed to relay God’s message to them, instead of God speaking directly to them. Moses was allowed to go up on the mountain. In one of the strangest statements in the Bible we read, “And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” (Exodus 20:21) God was in the thick darkness! God is in the thick darkness of troubles in our life and He wants to give us light. Observe carefully, God will help you because He is in the darkness, but the darkness is not in Him.

God is in the darkness of your lying, and He wants to give you truth. I bring you good news that you can overcome addiction to alcohol and other drugs with the help of God! You can stop all the lying and always tell the truth. “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand; I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light. Precious Lord, take my hand and lead me home.” In order to overcome your addiction, you must allow God to help you out of the darkness of lying. When a person is in active addiction, you can just mark it down, that if their lips are moving, they are lying. In order to overcome addiction, you must become an honest and honorable person. “An honorable person is one who is truthful; free from deceit; above cheating, lying, stealing, or any form of deception. An honorable person is one who learns early that you cannot do wrong and feel right.” You must learn to be honest in all that you do, honest with yourself, honest with others, but most of all, you must learn to be honest with God. We must be trustworthy and true to what is right, even when no one else is around or when no one is watching us. To be sober for the rest of your life, you must allow God to bring you out of the darkness of lying! God will help you because He is in the darkness, but the darkness is not in Him.

God is in the darkness of your addiction and He wants to give you sobriety. Addiction is a place of deep darkness and depression. God is in the darkness of addiction and He will deliver you from it. There are many kinds of drugs and many different kinds of alcoholic drinks; there is only one God and only He can deliver you from all of those things. God is the only way that you can become totally free from substance abuse. Many people try to figure it out on their own, they go from one rehab facility to another, and then right back to their addiction. Those people are missing a renewal in their spirit or heart; they need a renewed faith in God. Most people are afraid to face the fact that they need God’s help in overcoming addiction! With God by your side you have the strength and the courage to overcome addiction. David had God by his side, and he was able to withstand and defeat Goliath. “And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:32)  To be sober for the rest of your life, you must allow God to bring you out of the darkness of addiction! God will help you because He is in the darkness, but the darkness is not in Him.

God is in the darkness of your anger and He wants to give you calmness and peace. Most addicts do not connect their anger problems with their addiction. They are angry at everyone; they are angry at the police, the courts; the person who fired them at work, their families who have tried to encourage them to stop the drug use and at anyone who tries to get in their business in any way. Those who get out of the darkness of addiction must also allow God to help them overcome their anger issues. Anger is especially connected with the use of alcohol and cocaine. This anger often comes because our desires and expectations in life are unfulfilled, and this occurs because of the addiction. Alcohol and cocaine intensifies anger and this often gives way to other painful emotions such as worry and depression. Those who are close to the addicts become co-dependents. They think that the drug use and the anger is somehow their fault. That person needs to stop being in denial. The addict is not angry because of what their family members did, they are angry because of what they are doing. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” (Proverbs 16:32) To be sober for the rest of your life, you must allow God to bring you out of the darkness of anger! God will help you because He is in the darkness, but the darkness is not in Him.

God is in the darkness of your denial and He wants you to accept responsibility. Denial, manipulation, loss of sanity and rational thinking are all a part of the darkness of addiction. Many addicts deny that they have a problem. Regardless of how extreme their addiction problem is or no matter how much they have suffered and shattered the lives of those who love them, addicts will continue to deny they have a problem. Family members are most often the ones that are hurt and they need to show the addict beyond any doubt that he/she has caused great pain and suffering. Left unchecked, alcoholism and other drug addiction has only one conclusion, the addict will die. People will literally drink themselves to death, or they will keep using their drug of choice until their body gives up its basic functions. To be sober for the rest of your life, you must allow God to bring you out of the darkness of denial and you must take responsibility for your actions! God will help you because He is in the darkness, but the darkness is not in Him.

 “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.” (Psalms 107:28-30)