What A Sunday!

Good morning.
11:11 a.m here at the Bynum household and we've just finished with worship/prayer/sharing and Bible Study.
Feels like I've already put in a day's work, but truth is I haven't.
In fact it's been a pretty laid back morning so far. We slept in this morning, getting up at 6:30 which is way late for us. During the week, I'm usually up between 4 and 4:30 a.m. so it was kind of nice to slide into the day.
I've already gone for my walk this morning per doctor's orders. Nice long power walk of 40 minutes.
Had some really good tunes on my mp3 player so as to put a little steam in my stride. In other words, it was a fast, hard paced walk. Doctor wants me to increase the time walking a little bit each week. Sunday morning is a really good time for me to walk for a longer time. Sun was out this morning, a brisk breeze met me head on as I struck out down Case Avenue.

Got back home and Vicki had prepared a good breakfast for us to enjoy. She worries (well, maybe "worry" isn't the right word) about me when I go for my walk. I take my phone just in case anything happens during the walk. But you know....through this entire process of recovering from the heart attack, I haven't been fearful one bit. There has been great peace and I recognize it as coming from God's hand.

Last night's service at Rapha was again "a keeper."
Seth Barber spoke about commitment and our need to quit playing and delaying in taking the steps necessary in recovery and in this relationship God is calling us to. Seth uses a lot of examples from his own personal journey and it seems to register with the men who attend. It's not enough to think about recovery. It's not enough to talk about recovery. It's not enough to want recovery without the commitment. At some point we have to give ourselves to God and His direction in our lives to lead us. We read in Hosea 14:9 - Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those who are discerning listen carefully. the paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But sinners stumble and fall along the way. On the path, under God guiding me, I can do this (recovery). But when I remove myself and fall back into doing things my way, I should not expect anything different than misery and destruction. The scripture says that I will "Stumble and Fall along the way."  I call that self-inflicted suffering. Even when it happens we want to blame those around us rather than the harsh reality that we are suffering because we rejected God.

Do you really think that it was God's will for you to suffer in addiction?
Do you really think that God moved you and lead you into addiction?
No!
We chose it!
We embraced it as we rejected the real life God wanted to fill us with.
Because of our stinking choices, did God reject us?
Never.
The door is still there and open for us to pass through into this new life.
That door has a name.
Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9-10 - For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
Addiction may be a powerful force.
God is greater.
Craving may come to you to draw you back into the darkness....
But God's authority and power to keep you from this harm is greater.
That voice may be whispering in your ear and in your heart even now, "Don't listen to all this God junk! It doesn't work...it isn't real.....you don't even know the guy who writes this blog....he's only playing with your emotions."
That voice goes on to tell us, "Rely on the only thing that has been there for you in all the pain and suffering....your drugs and alcohol....they truly are your best friends."
But God is a presence that sticks closer than a brother with a love that burns brighter and hotter than a million suns.
Don't listen to that old familiar voice. Shut it out and listen for the voice of love from the one true God.

May you find Him today......
God on you......
mb