Working The Word (Walking Away From Addiction Into The Sweet Arms of Jesus) You Are My Hiding Place

By: Hanny Lynn Stearns

Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc.

“Multiplying God’s Word Around the Globe”

September 30, 2016

You Are My Hiding Place

Psalm 32

32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
⁴ For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah 

The first verses of this Psalm show us that when a man/woman who has sinned confesses and is forgiven, they are blessed indeed! There is nothing like the experience inside our spirit man when we know we have come clean with the Lord. I am liking this experience so much these days and I want to be very careful not to slip back into old behavior and lose those good blessings. To let go of addiction habits is to let go of bondage and be free in the Lord.

We can easily see by the time we get to verse 3 that sin brings decay to our physical bodies. Then throw on top of that the abuse we are doing to our bodies with the habit we have been engaging in and we end up a broken down mess. When my food addiction was in full swing, my health was going down and fast! My blood pressure was sky rocketing. I had all kinds of un-diagnosable problems. My frustrations only grew when I went to this Dr. and that Dr. trying to find the answers that only the Lord could give me. I was a Christian and I was sinning bad! Little did I know what was really happening at the time.

Many Christians get saved and stay in the infant stage of their walk with Christ. They remain carnal – living as their flesh (soul) leads them rather than walking by the Holy Spirit of God in them. Addiction brings not only physical suffering, but it adds to our emotional suffering, mental anguish and it diminishes our walk with the Lord to nothing more than that of an infant.

Acknowledging Our Sin to The Lord

⁵ I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

This part may seem like it is hard for the addict. On the other hand, I have talked to many who are addicted and just plain down and out. Most of them are some of the humblest people I have ever met. They know they have messed up in a big way. They know it does not please the Lord. Yet, in their hearts I believe many either think they are completely helpless to do anything about it, or they simply are not willing. There are plenty in both categories. What people need to know is that if God could show them mercy and give them a new life in Jesus Christ, He can certainly forgive their sin of addiction and heal them. He will never do anything bad to you. We never have to fear approaching God to seek His forgiveness. He will welcome us with open arms every time.

The Godly Can Hide in The Lord

⁶ For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
⁷ You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

The born again Christian can and should run to the Lord while there is still time. Friends I know a little about this. I almost died in my sins. I came within moments of taking my last breath on a severe overdose of very strong pain killers. If I had died like that, I can’t bear to think of the consequences. The point is, don’t wait. Go to Him now while you have time. Even though you may feel like you are way in over your head and you can’t possibly see your way out – the Lord is the only answer you have. We can hide in Him as His children. Going to Him will result in nothing but good things. He alone can deliver us from all our troubles and fears. Now is the time – don’t wait. Death is knocking at your door. Don’t take a chance and miss out on the best decision you could ever make. God is good – all the time.

God Talking To Us

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
⁹ Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.

¹⁰ Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
¹¹ Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Just look at how the Lord is compelling with us – lovingly working to draw us close to Him. He wants to teach us. He is telling us not to be stubborn. Have you ever seen a stubborn mule? Or even a stubborn dog that digs his heels in? Our dog does that when he senses that it is raining outside. We try to get him to go out to take care of business, and he digs those darling little paws in and glares back at us as if to say, “I am not budging Mom!” While it may be cute for a moment, the principal is anything but! God is looking for cooperation from His people. He gave us the new birth through His Son. Now He wants to see us grow up in Him so He can use us to bless and help others. I also know about this stubbornness. It is a characteristic of the devil and the Lord wants no part of it.

The minute we humble ourselves and seek His forgiveness, we have it. It happens just that fast! Talk about grace! When we trust in the Lord, he will surround us with mercy. Doesn’t that comfort you? It does me. If anyone ever needed mercy and grace en mass, it was me! I was the worst of sinners in my mind and I had a stack of sins so high when I first surrendered to the Lord 11 years ago that I wouldn’t even know where to start to list them.

Oh but He has forgiven me. And He wants to do the same for you. He wants to set you free from all bondage and bring you into a life of joy and praise to His holy name. It only takes one little step. That’s all. Working the word brings miracles, signs and wonders into our lives and the lives of others. We must hear what God is saying and do it. That’s it. Then the miracle happens. When we say it out loud over ourselves, we set ourselves up for success. His word changes things – even the atmosphere!

Won’t you put down that drug, that drink, or that spoon and pick up the word of God instead? All you have to do is believe that God is who He says He is and He can do what He says will do. Then remember who God says you are and that you CAN do anything through Christ who gives you the strength! Hallelujah!