Life connections in the Recovery Bible - Psalms

[janbear]

Psalms 4:4

Many of us were raised to believe that anger and sin were the same thing. This verse suggests otherwise. Anger is a feeling; expressing that feeling inappropriately is sin. Our faith and our recovery program help us to feel all our feelings, as David did, and to learn to express them in healthy ways.

[janbear]

Psalms 7:14-17

When we caught in our addiction and our lives got out of control, it seemed as if God, our families, our bosses, or our coworkers were constantly making trouble for us. But once we entered recovery, we realized that we had brought most of the trouble on ourselves. We had dug our own hole and fallen into it. Our attempts to control had blown up in our face. Now we can thank God for helping us realize what we had been doing, and let him run our lives instead.

[janbear]

Psalms 9:9-10
As children, many of us could not count on our parents or caretakers to be there for us when we were afraid or hurt. If they were around at all, they were likely too busy, too angry, or too caught up in addictive behaviours. There was no place to go. But now that we are in recovery it is so comforting to learn that God is our refuge and stronghold, someone who will always be there, someone who will never abandon us.

[janbear]

Psalms 10:1-18
Notice how David begins this psalm in despair and ends it in victory. David seems to have worked through his feelings as he wrote. Indeed, many people throughout history have written poetry or kept a journal as a way of listening to themselves more closely, chronicling the ebb and flow of their growth, and savoring the holy moments of God's work in their lives. Journaling can be an especially valuable practice for the person in recovery

[janbear]

Psalms 14:1-3
Here we see a stark description of our powerlessness. David is not saying that it is impossible to do good; rather he is emphasizing that none of us can do good on our own. Left to ourselves, we will "turn aside" and take the broad path that leads to destruction. For us to do good with any kind of consistency, we must consciously "call on the Lord" to empower us and keep us on the right road.

[janbear]

Psalms 16:2
Of course we can attain many things we typically call good-money, possessions, food-without asking for God's help. But we can't truly experience that goodness, or share it meaningfully with others, without recognizing the source of those good things. If we are chasing the "other gods" of our addictions, our sorrows will only increase. By humbly acknowledging God's presence and provision we will begin to feel the true goodness of his gifts to us.

[janbear]

Psalm 20:1-9

Take a moment to reflect on all the words in this psalm that describe God's activity in our lives; He answers, he protects, he sends help and support, he remembers, he accepts, he gives, he grants requests, he saves. What a contrast to the kind of attention many of us received as children-and the attention we expected to get from God. Thankfully, our recovery is helping us to correct our distorted images of God.

[janbear]

Psalms 25:4-7

When we admit to God the wrongdoings of our former addicted lifestyle and humbly ask him to remove them, he removes them not only from us, but from his own presence as well. In other words, he forgets our sins! Recovery is not payment for our former life. Instead, it is the beginning of a new life grounded in God's power, love and guidance

[janbear]

Psalms 26: 1-3
Just as Christianity is not simply a collection of teachings we believe, the Twelve Steps are not merely a list of statements we agree with. Both are meant to be lived, day by day. David says, "I walk continually in your truth." One aspect of our walk with God is conducting regular moral inventories, just as David does in the psalm.

[janbear]

Psalms 31:1-8
The place of safety from the enemy is a "spacious" place, and God puts us there. He knows there are times we "need our space". But even more important, he wants us to be open to him, to make space in our schedules and in our souls for him. The question is, will we quickly fill up the space with fear, worry, busyness and compulsive behavior, or will we truly make room for him?

[janbear]

Psalms 32:1-7
David gives a vivid description of why we need to follow Steps Five, Six, and Seven. When we hide behind our wrongdoings and fail to admit them, we only grow more miserable. The burden of a cover-up drains our energy and demoralizes us. But as soon as we come clean before God, he forgives us and delivers us. The heaviness is lifted,. Instead of hiding behind our mistakes, we can rest behind God's shield of protection.

[janbear]

Psalm 34:15-19

Neither Christianity nor the 12 steps promises us freedom from problems or pain in this life. But they both say that God will be with us, will care for us, and will give us the power to face those problems and persevere.

[janbear]

Psalms 37:1-9
Another way of saying “do not fret” is “let go”. When we hold on to envy or anger at those who appear to get away with evil, it doesn’t hurt them, it hurts us. Moreover, it saps the energy we need for more important things: trusting, delighting in and committing our ways to God. But before we can enjoy God’s benefits - safety, fulfilled desires, righteousness, justice - we have to let go and let God deal with evildoers.

[janbear]

Psalm 44:23-26
How brutally honest God allows us to be with him! The writer, in his frustration over Israel’s desperate plight, accuses God being asleep, and tells him to wake up. We all feel this desperate at times, and we never need to hold back in telling God about it. We can’t always count on a simple answer or a quick fix, but we can always depend on his unfailing love.

[janbear]

Psalm 46: 1-11
The image of God as our refuge occurs throughout the Psalms. We see a picture of a safe, well-protected place where we can be quiet with God, even though violence and turmoil may be raging around us. Perhaps we can quiet ourselves wherever we are and retreat with God though prayer and meditation. Or we may find it helpful to set a place in our home or find a quiet spot in the woods where we can seek refuge in God.

[janbear]

Psalms 57:1
Many of us who suffered abuse by our fathers or other men may recoil at all the masculine imagery for God throughout the Bible. It may be comforting to know that God transcends all gender categories. Scripture occasionally ascribes feminine , motherly traits to God , such as this image of a mother bird protecting her young underneath her wings.

[janbear]

Psalms 62:1-12
Here David describes his absolute and constant dependence on God. Such dependence is a requirement for successful recovery. What results from this kind of trust? The psalm lists many benefits: rest, salvation, protection, hope, stability. We can be absolutely confident, as David was, that God is strong (step 2) and loving (Step 3). If we understand nothing more of God that this,, we’re off to a great start.

[janbear]

Psalms 63: 1-5
A hunger and a thirst lie within us deeper than all of our cravings for addictive substances and relationships. In fact, our addictions are ultimately a substitute for this deeper hunger. It is the hunger for a relationship with God. Unlike our addictions, which always leave us wanting more, a relationship with God can truly satisfy our soul “ as with the richest of foods” if we are willing to let him in.