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| Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-person-emotions-sitting-7534758/ |
When was the last time that you felt like this?
This can happen in your journey through addiction, but it does not have to be a permanent situation. The lie of the enemy here is that things will never get better, you will never be free and you will always be a failure.
We counter that by speaking the truth of God's Word:
- Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" NIV
- Philippians 4:13 "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." NIV
Me being a work in progress does not make me a failure. Recovery becomes possible when we trust in God's strength and not our own.
The Israelites had many names for God, based on how they experienced Him and the names give us a glimpse of His character. "Jehovah Shamma" means "the Lord who is there". In your sadness, in your discouragement: God is with you now. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and call out to Him now.
Matthew 12:20 "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory." NIV
Are you overwhelmed? Do you feel like your hope is going out? Isaiah prophesied the above verse about Jesus. He treats us with love and compassion.
I want to invite you to be kind to yourself today. If you were sick, you would take medicine and possibly even stay in bed. When your heart is sick, you also need to practice self care.
Some examples:
- Go for a walk to get some fresh air
- Practice deep breathing
- Listen to the Pause app
Before we go, now is a good time to journal. There are many ways to do this on paper or using an app. You can even email a journal entry to yourself.
It helps if you can write down 1 thing that you are thankful for today. This helps us to refocus on God.
God bless you and help you to move through discouragement and find hope again.