Proverbs 18:1
A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire. He rages against all wise judgment.
Yesterday I received a phone call from Seth Barber asking me if I could fill in and speak at last night's Catalyst recovery meeting. I made my way to the church, and went upstairs to my office to see if I could hear God on what direction He wanted the message to take.
I was leafing through some old notes seeing if any verses stuck, when a piece of paper feel out onto the floor. I picked it up, unfolded and was surprised to see what was written on it. It was a sign in sheet from a class I did at Rapha back in the early part of 2002 ( I think it was from that time). There was Seth Barber's name written on this paper, along with the names of 15 others. I started at the top and began to read the names. One by one their faces appeared in my mind.....
"He's dead....over dose"...
"He's dead....suicide".....
"He has done well, seems to have found life".
"He's in prison"......
"He's still out there in that old lifestyle".
And on...
And on..
And on...
The names rolled by, the memories came.
Then, there was Seth's name.
Why do some seem to grasp the way out of addiction prison and some don't?
Why is that some just seem to be a perpetual train wreck, going from one situation to another, each one worse than the one before?
Maybe life truly is about the one.
Maybe this whole recovery thing is all about the one.
I know that I've said it over and over, that when I go to speak anywhere I only want to focus on the one who truly is desiring a way out of their darkness. If more than one comes to the saving knowledge that Jesus is the answer, that is a bonus.
At the end of my message last night, I opened the front up to anyone who wanted to do some business with my Jesus. Several came forward and got down on their knees to pray. My prayer was that someone was serious about their prayer. That they truly were willing to turn will and life over to the care of God. Time will tell if there was "THE ONE" in that group. Time will tell if there was more than one. But for that brief moment, I knew that the soil of the hearts of those who were praying was in the hands of God. I'm not smart enough to figure out who will or who wasn't serious in their prayers. Nor is it my place to come to that conclusion. It is only call and job to deliver the message that God wants people to hear. The rest is between Him and them. What do I know? He is a good God who loves us in spite of our messes. He is a saving God willing to forgive and restore all who come to him with a broken and contrite heart. He is a God with the power and authority to break any chains that addiction has placed on anyone.
That, my friend, is a truth that I will take to my grave.
So here's to Seth....to Barry....to Greg....to Nick....to Todd....to Hugh....to Jason...to Charlie...to Jeffrey....to all of those who have found the way out of the darkness. May God grant favor on all the others who are searching for the way out.
God on you....
mbb
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