Addiction to Adoration

 

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.  1 Corinthians 6:20

I met a young woman on my recent trip to Georgia who wowed me with her story. She was in her twenties, pretty, kind, a good Mom to her four year old son, and a good friend to my daughter . But, the overriding quality in this young woman was her gratitude to God. Clearly, He had brought her from drug addiction that plagued her to adoration of Him for the work He has done in her life.

“I’m a new person.”

Her addiction had ruled her life. In fact, it had almost ruined her life. It took the life of her sister. She turned to Christ recognizing her own powerlessness.

She is in the humbling position now of asking for rides if she wants to go someplace because she has lost her license. She has had to deal with the grief of losing her sister. She has memories of all she has done to feed her habit.

In all of this, she is grateful because God has saved her out of it. She understands that her life has a purpose and she is so happy to serve Him any way He calls her to (even loading moving boxes and mopping floors for my daughter). She looks forward to what is to come.

In Daniel chapter 10  Daniel is still in Babylon. He is hearing about the return to Jerusalem of others from Judah who are facing serious opposition. Daniel is weak from fasting and praying for them. He is visited by an angel who explains the evil forces that are coming against the people of God. He points out that God is aware and has heard Daniel’s plea for his people.

This young, grateful woman I met was thwarted in her service to the Lord because of addictive drugs. This is a powerful, growing evil eating into our culture. “But God” is no more unaware of this than he was of the evil in Daniel’s day. He is still stronger, greater, and more powerful than any drug or than those who are promoting these addictions to the satisfaction of Satan and their own wallets. Sadly, it has become big business filling the coffers of evil people working against the people of God.

The young woman from Georgia is living out the verse that tells us that when God is for us, who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31) She has passed from addiction to adoration of the one true God who has brought her out of her affliction!

All of this made me realize how much gratitude I should have. This woman brags on Jesus for what He has done for her as He increased her faith and took her addiction. She smiles in spite of circumstances taking full responsibility for the consequences of her past sin. She is joyful and it was a gift to meet her and to be reminded that Christ has also delivered me from evil, mine just wasn’t as visible as hers.

Daniel had become weak praying for the people being overtaken by evil forces. I have not prayed to that degree for those I know who are overtaken by drugs. God heard Daniel’s prayer and He will hear ours as we battle for those who are addicted (to any sin).

It’s much more enjoyable to hear and see an addiction turn to the adoration of God than to the heartbreak of death by addiction. It is a resurrection!

He is risen. He is risen, indeed.