Rescue
Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and
brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.(NIV)
I was talking to someone the other day about my struggle with alcohol when I was
a teenager. I grew up in the West of Scotland where the culture imposes a lot of
pressure on young people to get as drunk as often as they can, just to prove
that they are normal and can handle liquor. I started drinking when I was
thirteen and five years later, I became addicted. I honestly cannot remember
going more than a day without drinking beer, vodka, or whisky from when I was
eighteen to twenty.
Typically, there was a great shadow or sadness over my soul and the only way
that I could find to get rid of the darkness was to brighten up my spirits with
intoxicating spirits. But alcohol is a depressant and when my ‘spiritual’ high
was over, I was worse off than before.
People who loved me hinted that I had a problem, but no one really confronted me
or intervened. It’s not that they didn’t care – I’m sure that my parents and
some of my friends wanted me to stop – it’s just that I was so strong-willed and
stubborn, they didn’t know what to do or say. My addiction made me powerless to
give it up; and it paralyzed my loved ones who wanted to help.
It took intervention to rescue me – divine intervention. God got a hold of my
attention and when I pleaded for help, He heard my prayer. I had to hit rock
bottom before I could start on the road to recovery. I had to fall on my knees
and ask for help before any turning point could begin in my life.
Since those dark days, I’ve known others to be in the same predicament, who have
wrestled with the dark demons of addiction. Some of them have lost that battle
and died prematurely, but I’m glad to say that there are others who have found
God and conquered their dependency on alcohol. They have also experienced that
precious moment of divine rescue in their lives when God has saved them from
themselves.
Perhaps some of you who are reading or hearing this are struggling with an
addiction. Maybe you have a loved one who is wrestling with nicotine, alcohol,
drugs or pornography. Ask God to intervene; pray for divine rescue; plead for
deliverance from the darkness. He has the power – all you need is the prayer for
perseverance.
Prayer: Lord God, when we do damage to ourselves through solvent abuse and
chemical dependency, rescue us. When we try to overcome addiction and obsession
from things that harm our bodies, minds, and souls, deliver us. And when we or
our loved ones have taken the wrong path, made foolish choices, or have slid
back into fallen ways, restore us, O God, to Your light, Your life, and Your
love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart traqair@aol.com
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA