Life Connections to the Recovery Bible 1 and 2 Kings

[janbear]

I Kings 9:1-10 Two great truths stand out in God’s message to Solomon: God keeps his promises, and we are all accountable to him. God’s love is unconditional, but he wants us to remain humble before him, admitting our mistakes when we make them and asking his forgiveness.

[janbear]

I Kings 17:8-16 This account reminds us of the way God works when we turn our lives over to him. Though our own resources for overcoming problems are extremely limited,, God’s resources are unlimited. In his power we will have the strength to tackle whatever befalls us. But God did not give the widow huge qauntities of flour and oil; he provided only enough for one day at a time. That is the way he wants us to trust him

[janbear]

I Kings 22:7-18 Some of us were so blinded by our addictions that we had no idea how our behavior harmed and others. Others of us knew what we were doing, yet we weren’t ready to let God change us. Ahab clearly falls into the second group. Recovery begins when we break through the walls of our denial and face the truth: Our lives have indeed become unmanageable, and we are powerless on our own to change.

[janbear]

2 Kings 9-15 Our recovery can be greatly enhanced by a healthy, mature person as our mentor or role model. This person may be our sponsor, but could also be any older, wiser individual we can learn from. A mentor may pass our skills and techniques, but the greatest thing he or she can give us, as Elisha realized, is a spirit of integrity, honesty and submission to God. May we all find people we can share these gifts with us.

[janbear]

2 Kings 4: 8-17 The woman in this story recognized God’s presence in Elisha, and she made a room for him to stay in. We can do the the same thing at the spiritual level by making room in our lives for God, and for godly people. As we do this, we may also find, as the woman did, that wonderful things begin to happen.

[janbear]

2 Kings 5:15-27 So often we who are codependent want mercy for ourselves and justice for everyone else. Gehazi though Naaman should pay for his healing. But Gehazi’s lies backfired horribly, serving as a reminder that we should leave justice up to God and welcome his grace and mercy wherever they may be found.

[janbear]

2 Kings 9-15 Our recovery can be greatly enhanced by a healthy, mature person as our mentor or role model. This person may be our sponsor, but could also be any older, wiser individual we can learn from. A mentor may pass our skills and techniques, but the greatest thing he or she can give us, as Elisha realized, is a spirit of integrity, honesty and submission to God. May we all find people we can share these gifts with us.

[janbear]

2 Kings 15:1-5 Turning our life and will over to God is not a one-time event; we must do it continually. King Azariah “did what was right” at the outset, but failed to continue the process and rid the country of its idol worship. If we conduct our moral inventory regularly and honestly, we too will find bad habits or attitudes. By letting go of these defects and asking God to remove them, we will experience greater freedom and serenity.

[janbear]

2 Kings 17:7-23 In this summary of Israel’s downfall, there are no surprises. From the very start, God had told them, “Follow me and you’ll live; reject me and you’ll die” He wasnt being cruel; he was simply stating the truth. Without God, our addictions and dependencies will defeat us. We’ll bring all sorts of terrible consequences upon ourselves. But with the God of the Bible and the Twelve Step program, we’ll escape ruin and experience life and joy and peace as never before.