Life Connections to the Recovery Bible

[janbear]

LIFE CONNECTIONS to the Recovery Bible


Genesis 1:31
We are of supreme value to God. He created us in his own image which means that we all have the stamp of God's being in us. Notice after each day of creation, God pronounced his work "good" But after the sixth day, when he created humans, he said it was "very good" Thats how God thinks of us-and how we should think of ourselves

[janbear]

Genesis 2:2
Since God is God, he doesnt get tired: yet he rested. Why? Perhaps because he knows there value in rest. Not "rest" in the sense of collapsing in the bed at the end of the day of busyness and fretting over other people; not sleeping to avoid stress and conflict. Instead, God is showing us the value of rest as a choice-choosing to do nothing, to be quiet, to reflect, to be with ourselves and with God

[janbear]

Genesis 2:24
This one verse explains why most of us are in recovery. Because of alcohol, abuse, or some other dysfunction, we couldn't complete the process of bonding with and separating from each of our parents. the emotional part of leaving is far more important and less likely to have occured than the physical leaving. Recovery helps with this aspect of leaving, letting us make conscious choices based on what is right and healthy, rather than on our experience with our parents.

[janbear]

Genesis 3:11-13

"The first couple's response to God after being caught in their misdeed is all too human; they resorted to blaming. Adam pointed to Eve, and Eve pointed to the serpent. Recovery is all about taking responsibility for our actions. We will inevitably lapse into unhealthy behaviors; only by accepting repsonsibility for those behaviors and seeking God's help can we grow into health and wholeness"

[janbear]

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Genesis 4:7
The description of sin here closely parallels the nature of addictive and compulsive behaviors: they are crouching at our door, desiring to have us. The only way we can "master" them is to "do what is right", that is, pray for God's will and then, in his power, follow it.
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[janbear]

Genesis 7:23
"To protect our recovery, sometimes we need to separate ourselves from systems and people bound for destruction. Like Noah, we may need to seek refuge and trust God for protection. Apparently Noah did not go out and try to change people; instead, he saw what was going on around him, listened to God's voice, and ran for cover. At times we may need to do the same."

[janbear]

Genesis 9:12-16
A covenant is an agreement, a promise. We in recovery have experienced more than our share of broken promises, and we still find it difficult to keep the promises we make to ourselves and others. How encouraging to know that God is not only a promise-making God, but a promise-keeping God. His covenant with us and with all the earth is "everlasting". We truly can trust him.

[janbear]

Genesis 9:21
In this first reference to drunkenness in the Bible, we see its damaging effects-which many of us know all too well. Alcohol can cause us to become emotionally (and sometimes physically) "uncovered", susceptible to being taken advantage of. It makes us bring shame on ourselves, and often others. Now that we are in recovery, we see these patterns much more clearly and are learning to steer away from them.

[janbear]

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Honesty is essential to recovery. In the past we avoided facing difficult situations directly and truthfully. Instead, like Abram, we came up with elaborate schemes to keep from being criticized or rejected. But Abram found that his dishonesty only complicated things. As we learn to be honest, our communication will become more direct, and we will experience more simplicity and serenity in our life.
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[janbear]

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Genesis 13:5-9
Just as Abram and Lot had so many possessions they could not stay together, we often carry too much emotional baggage into our relationships. The baggage comes from our dysfunctional background and what we have done with it. Abram knew it was time to separate from his nephew Lot to preserve their relationship. Perhaps there are people we need to separate ourselves from as well-emotionally if not physically-in order to restore integrity to the relationship

[janbear]

Genesis 15:6

So often we think that "turning our will and our lives to the care of God" means doing things to gain God's acceptance. If we do enough good deeds, perhaps God will fix our problems. But that is not who God is. He already accepts us; we dont need to prove ourselves to him. As we grow in our understanding of God, we will find that our recovery depends less on what we do and more on what we believe God will do, sometimes through us and sometimes in spite of us.

[janbear]

Genesis 16:1-6
In the previous chapter God had told Abram he would give him a son, and Abraham believed God's words. But when his wife, Sarai, pushed her own plan on him, he gave in rather than stand up for what God had told him. Naturally all kinds of trouble resulted-trouble that continues to this very day. If both of them had humbly submitted to God's will, they could have saved a lot of unnecessary suffering.

[janbear]

Genesis 17:15-22
Even after Abram and Sarai had tried to manipulate God's will, God remained patient. He gave them new names, Abraham and Sarah, to signify a new stage in their lives. And he gently, patiently explained his plan to Abraham. This is the kind of God we can look to in our recovery: a God who loves us, cares for us and bears with our doubts and shortcomings.

[janbear]

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Genesis 18: 10-14
Sarah laughed because she thought it was impossible to have a child at her age. God's answer was, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Perhaps we too have laughed (or more likely cried) at the prospect of leaving our addictive or codependent behaviors behind. We have found it difficult, if not impossible, to change our old patterns and start over. But God's answer to us is the same one he gave to Sarah: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

[janbear]

Genesis 18:20-33
This conversation between Abraham and God provides a model for our Step Eleven prayer and meditation. Abraham approached God with boldness and yet with humility. He asked for what he wanted, yet never forgot who he was asking. And God responded with compassion. Though we may not always get the answers we want or expect from God, we can always count on him to hear and take care of our needs.

[janbear]

Genesis 19:17
Lot and his family were told to flee from Sodom without looking back. We who are recovering from alcohol and substance addictions especially know the danger of "looking back" to our old ways, our old friends, our former hangouts, and the all-too-familiar euphoria of our drug of choice. The pull will probably always be there. When we keep our gaze fixed ahead of us, on God, his will, and our recovery, however, we will find ourselves on the path toward wholeness.

[janbear]

Genesis 22:2-12
In this frightening event, God was sending two messages to Abraham and to all of us. One, God does not want anything to be more important to us than our relationship to him, not even our children. Two, God does not expect us to sacrifice the life of health of our children to follow him. This twofold message may have special significance to those of us who have become Christian service addicts, doing great things for God while doing very little for our children.

[janbear]

Genesis 28 :16
How often have we been able to say with Jacob, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it"? Before we got into recovery, we may have wondered whether God even existed. But as we worked the steps and grew in our understanding of God, we started to become aware of his presence. God wants to be with us; he wants to be involved in our lives. We simply need to increase our awareness of him, so we can see and marvel at what is already going on.

[janbear]

Genesis 29:32
Making children and using them to fix a hurting marriage or mend one's own low self-esteem usually worsens rather than improves the situation. Often a desperate desire for children, such as Leah's, indicates one's own un met childhood needs are rising to the surface, anxious for resolution.

[janbear]

Genesis 32:3-20
In this episode we see one extraordinary attempt by Jacob to make amends with his brother Esau. Now wealthy and powerful, Jacob humbled himself before God and Esau. He wanted to make restitution for all the pain he had caused Esau many years before. Esau had every reason to attack Jacob, but he received Jacob warmly. We can pray that as we approach those whom we have harmed, they will do the same.

[janbear]

Genesis 37:3-4
Showing favoritism among one's children can cause much emotional damage-both to the favored and unfavored.Jacob should have known this, since his father Isaac had favaored Esau over him. But often issues not dealt with by parents are silently passed on to their children. We tend to feel sorry for Joseph in this story, but his brothers also suffered because of their father's favortism. No one is left unharmed.

[janbear]

Genesis 40: 9-15,23
Who was the first person to influence you toward recovery? Who first stood by you when you were trying to stay sober? What people have reached out to you at a particularly difficult time? God has sent people to all of us to meet a special need. But do we remember them now? Do we keep in touch with them, or at least thank them? Do we help them when they need us? It took the chief cupbearer two years to remember Joseph; perhaps it won't take us as long.

[janbear]

Genesis 45: 4-8
As we move forward in our recovery and deepen our contact with God, we gain something that we haven't had for most of our lives: perspective. We begin to see that our hurts and wounds happened for a reason-or at least that God was present in them and used them for our good. After years in slavery and unjust imprisonment, Joseph was able to acknowledge God's purpose in it all. So can we.

[janbear]

Genesis 46:29
Many tears are shed between Joseph, his brothers, and his father in this chapter and the previous one. But these are not tears of pain and grief as much as tears of joy and reconciliation. As we experience healing in ourselves and our families, we too may find ourselves weeping. It is good. It is healthy. It is nourishing to the soul. And it is a sign that our recovery is truly taking hold.

[janbear]

Genesis 48:11-19
As Israel blessed Joseph's children, he crossed his arms, giving the primary blessing to the younger child rather than the firstborn. His point? Nothing we can do, no earthly status we can attain, automatically entitles us to God's blessings and grace. Being the oldest, richest, smartest, or strongest means nothing. All that matters is our willingness to receive what God wants to give us, and our desire to grow in our relationship with him.

[janbear]

Exodus 2:1-10
Many of us can see parallels to Moses' childhood plight in our own early upbringing. We may have felt as if we were put in a basket and set adrift. But though Moses was eventually taken from his family God was watching over him. And God has been watching over us too, working in our lives to bring us to where we are today : on the road to complete health.

[janbear]

Exodus 5:1-9
Change the spelling of Pharaoh to a-d-d-i-c-t-i-o-n and we see a clear picture of what addictive behaviors do to us: They attach themselves tightly to us, refusing to let go. They demand more and more of us, while giving less and less. They make us into slaves. Fortunately, we have a God who rescued the Hebrews from slavery, and who is rescuing us from our bondage to addiction

[janbear]

Exodus 5:22-23
As we improve our conscious contact with God, we learn more about who he is and who he is not. One thing he is not is the God of the quick fix. Change and growth and healing take time. And if we have truly turned ourselves over to God so he can do the healing, we must allow him to do it in his time and in his way.

[janbear]

Exodus 6:30
Apparently Moses was not a confident, eloquent speaker - possibly a lingering sign of the insecurity he felt being raised apart from his parents. Yet God made Moses into a great leader and even a great orator. As we grow in our recovery, we may find that God takes our wounds and weaknesses and transforms them into strengths.

[janbear]

Exodus 8:19
What is a "hard heart"? One that will not listen to the truth or to the voice of God. Before we began our recovery, every time we repeated our addictive behavior we hardened our heart a little. At our worst times, we couldn't hear the truth even when people shouted it in our faces. But beneath the hard exterior, we knew we were powerless and needed God's help. By admitting the truth and turning to God, our hard hearts became soft again.

[janbear]

Exodus 11:3
Incredibly, after all the destruction God had sent upon Egypt, the native people were "favorably disposed" toward the Hebrews. Why? Because God was at work. He is the God of the unlikely, even the impossible. And he's at work continually in our lives.

[janbear]

Exodus 13:21
Though we can't see him guiding us in a cloud or a pillar of fire, God is always present with us, day and night, waiting to guide our way. The prayer and meditation of Step Eleven deepen our understanding of God and his will, allowing us to discern the direction he wants us to go.

[janbear]

Exodus 14:13-15
As we face difficult issues in our recovery, we will find that sometimes we need to sit tight and wait on God, and other times we need to get up and take action, trusting him for strength. How did Moses know when to get moving? God told him. But Moses would have heard nothing if he hadn't been staying in constant contact with God.

[janbear]

Immediately after the thrill of their Red Sea victory, the Israelites found themselves in the desert with no water in sight. So often, in life and in recovery, depression follows quickly after an emotional high. Rather than label one experience good and the other bad, perhaps we can look for what God wants to teach us in our "down" times as well as our "up" moments

[janbear]

Exodus 16:14-20

The bread from heaven was nourishment from God. But the Hebrews were only allowed to gather enough for a day. If they tried to collect more than a day's worth, it spoiled. Similarly, when we ask God for power and strength to keep on with our recovery, we don't ask for a year's worth, a month's worth, or even a week's worth. We ask for power to get through this day. Tomorrow we will ask for power to deal with tomorrow.

[janbear]

Exodus 18:13-24

Workaholics and codependents take note: Nobody can do it all, and nobody needs to do it all. Thanks to his wise and gentle father-in-law, Moses realized he was taking on too much responsibility. He followed Jethro's advice, just as we in recovery might follow our sponsor's advice. The result? Moses was protected from burnout, and more people were helped.

[janbear]

Exodus 20:1-17

Just as the Twelve Steps lead us out of our addictive/compulsive lifestyles, the Ten Commandments lead us toward a healthy and fulfilling life. It's easy to view the Ten Commandments as harsh prohibitions, but if we look deeper, we will see that rather than squelch our personhood, they actually help us direct our desires in positive life-affirming ways.

[janbear]

Exodus 25:8

So often we feel that God isn't present in our lives. But it's not because he doesn't want to be there. Maybe it's because we haven't made a place for him inside of us. We are so filled up with our addictions and compulsive activity that we leave no room for God. Reading the Bible, praying and working the Twelve Steps help us start creating a place for God.

[janbear]

Exodus 31:2-5

Unlike many of our parents or parent figures, God makes a point of recognizing the gifts and skills of his people. Because many of us were not affirmed, we find it difficult to accept praise or recognition, or to feel good about something we've done well. Some of us may even believe we have no gifts. But God has given gifts to all his children, and he will help us recognize ours and use them in a fulfilling way.

[janbear]

Exodus 34:6-7

In this anthem we have a description of who God really is. Yes, he punishes sin, because all sin has consequences, but the overwhelming emphasis is on his love, compassion, faithfulness and forgiveness. As we progress in our recovery we will see more and more how "God as we understand him" fits this picture.

[janbear]

Leviticus 1-4

While we can easily get bogged down in the details of these instructions about sacrifices, it's important to remember that they were outward signs of inward changes. They were designed to keep the Hebrews accountable for their actions, and to restore proper relationships. In recovery, we follow the spirit of these rituals when we carry out Steps Four through Ten.

[janbear]

Leviticus 13: 45-46
The regulations in Leviticus about skin diseases, being "unclean", and the like, are for a society with primitive health care and sanitation. The Hebrews knew nothing of viruses or bacteria. God gave these laws not just for ceremonial reasons; he cared about the physical health of his people. Similarly, our recovery is not merely about stopping a bad habit. It is moving toward total health and wholeness-physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

[janbear]

Leviticus 20:24-26
The words holy, set apart, distinction, clean and unclean all have to do with setting limits or boundaries. Many of these laws were given because the Hebrews needed specific direction to stay separate from the pagan, sometimes barbaric, practices of surrounding cultures. We in recovery also need to be aware of the environment we came out of, and set appropriate boundaries to prevent ourselves from getting caught in the old ways again.

[janbear]

Leviticus 24:1-4
Recovery is a lot like an oil lamp: it cannot run on its own, and it cannot simply be switched on and off at will. It must be “tended continually”. It’s a way of life, and it continues for the rest of our lives. The way to tend it is to put the Twelve Steps and the Bible into practice day by day.

[janbear]

Leviticus 26:14-45
The consequences are dire when we refuse to turn our lives over to God and follow his will (steps 3 and 11). And we bring most of these consequences upon ourselves when we are caught in our addictive behaviors. But in spite of all our wrongdoing, if we acknowledge defective behavior, God will not reject us or allow us to be completely destroyed. He will keep his promise to us.

[janbear]

Numbers 5:5-8
Making restitution is making amends. Interestingly, the wrongdoer was not only to return or pay for whatever had been stolen, but he was to add twenty percent. And if the wrongdoer was not able to find the person or his family, he was to give the whole amount to God. The results were positive all around, restoring a person’s relationship to God, his neighbor, and himself.

[janbear]

Numbers 6:24-26
This short blessing can be recited much like the Serenity Prayer when we need a reminder of who God is and how he acts toward us. He blesses us; he cares for us; he is gracious to us; he is present with us; and he brings peace into our lives

[janbear]

Numbers 9:15-23
The picture of the Hebrews given here is quite similar to that of people in recovery: We are both on a journey toward the “promised land” of wholeness. God is present with us and it is clear that he is leading and we are following. As long as we watch and listen for his direction, we will remain in his will and grow stronger and healthier each day

[janbear]

Numbers 11:16-17
Like Moses, we don’t have to bear our struggles alone, nor do we have to save all the other addicts in the world. We simply share the spiritual change in our lives with the addicts and codependents around us. They in turn can share their recovery with others. And in the process our burden is lightened, and we all are strengthened.

[janbear]

Numbers 14:1-4
At the very edge of the Promised Land, the Hebrews could see only the hurdle they needed to overcome, and not the wonderful rewards that awaited then. In their fear, they resorted to words we have found ourselves saying again and again: “Why?” and “If only” we succumb to self-pity. How much better to trust God to give us the power to overcome all obstacles to doing his will.

[janbear]

Numbers 33;1-2

Why would God command Moses to write down the stages of their journey? Because he knew there was value in reflecting on where they had been, what they had learned along the way and how God was faithful. We can do the same thing as we reflect on the stages of our recovery. As we retrace the ups and downs of our journey, we can keep working on places we've stumbled and thank God for bringing us so far along.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 1:21

God gave the land to the Hebrews, but they still had to take possession of it. Similiarly, God has given us a new life. But to realize its benefits, we have to take hold of that life and make it our own. That's what the procress of recovery is all about-venturing into new territory, new ways of thinking, new patterns of living. Its scary, and we can become discouraged. But God is with us; he wants us to have a better life. In his power, we will truly take possession of it.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 4:7 There are many words we can use to describe God-all-knowing, all-powerful and so on-but one adjective for God that has special meaning for us in recovery is "near". Many of us grew up with parents who were emotionally distant, perhaps actually absent. Based on the experience we may have assumed God is also distant or unavailable. But we read here that God is always near, never more than a prayer away.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 5:29

Just as addictive patterns can be passed down from generation to generation, so also can positive behaviors. When we follow God's agenda for living as expressed in the Bible and in the Twelve Steps, we can take heart in knowing that we are investing not only in our own well-being, but also the emotional and spiritual health of our children.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 7:17-24

The Hebrews were not exhibiting low self-esteem when they admitted that the other nations were stronger; it was true It is also true that our addictions and compulsions are stronger than we are. We can’t drive them out; only God can. Our job is to let God lead us into battle, trusting that he really is who he says he is: a “great and awesome God.” a God who is among us, a God who delivers us.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 8:3

For most of our lives we have felt a great void, a deep hunger inside us. We tried to satisfy that hunger with food or alcohol or substances or work or codependent relationships-all to no avail. In recovery we are coming to realize that our hunger is a spiritual hunger. It can only be satisfied by the word and the will of God, indeed only by God himself. That is why “God as we understand him” is central to the Twelve Steps.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 14: 22-29

The Hebrews were told to set aside one-tenth of the year’s crop to thank God for the harvest and to help feed the priests and the poor. In recovery, we are learning to manage our resources with an “attitude of gratitude”. We are also learning to set aside appropriate amounts of time or money to help those in need. Serving as a sponsor, helping a recovering friend get back on his feet, or simply providing a listening ear are a few ways to serve others.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 15:1

The wonderful provisions God gives in this chapter for canceling debts and freeing slaves show just how gracious a God he is. They also show that God knows about the nature of dependency. He does not want us to become overly dependent on other people; instead he wants us to be free of earthly attachments so we can depend on him.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 17:14-20

Even the king of Israel would not be above the law. He was to be humble and accountable to God just like everyone else in the kingdom. Similarly, none of us in recovery can get too confident, regardless of our social status or the number of years we’ve been sober. No matter who we are, we need to stick with the Word and the Steps to stay healthy.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 24:16

Though most of us can point to a dysfunctional family as the source of our addictions, we cannot go back and punish our parents for our misdeeds. We must take responsibility for our own actions if we want to get better. Recovery is not about blaming or fixing our parents. It is about bringing sanity and serenity back into lives, with God’s help.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 24:17-22

Like the Hebrews, we were once slaves-to a dysfunctional family system, and later to our addictive and codependent behaviors. As we progress in our recovery, and taste more freedom, we feel a special connection with and compassion for others who are enslaved to addictions, poverty or a difficult life. We are in a unique place to appropriately serve these people.

[janbear]

Deuteronomy 29:29

At times we cry out in frustration, “God, how could you let this happen to me?” We want God to explain himself. Deep down, of course, we realize we can’t know the answer. One of the things that makes God God is that he knows many things we don’t. Rather than get worked up trying to answer unanswerable questions, we can let go and accept God knows what he’s doing.

[janbear]

Joshua 1:9

As children, when we had to face pain or loss, we may have been told, “Be strong, don’t cry, be a soldier”-which amounted to saying, “Deny your feelings” This is not what God is telling Joshua. Instead, he is saying, “I hear your terror and your discouragement. But you can be strong and courageous because I am with you. Your strength comes from me.” That kind of strength does not happen to be artificially mustered up; it simply needs to be claimed.

[janbear]

Joshua 6:2-5

Why did the Hebrews have to march around Jericho each day for seven days? If God was going to knock down the walls anyway, why didn’t he do it on the first day? Perhaps he wanted to show that God often works out his will through ordinary people, and he wants us to participate in the process.

[janbear]

Joshua 13:8

The next nine chapters outline the territories the tribes of Israel were to settle. For recovery, something that stands out in these long lists is the importance of establishing clear borders. Setting and enforcing appropriate boundaries applies not only to tribes and countries, but also to individuals. Lines need to be drawn between our personal “space” and “others”, between our beliefs and others’, between our needs and others’ if we are to live healthy lives.

[janbear]

Judges 3:5-12 Through much of their history the Hebrews went through cycles of worshiping false gods, being defeated by enemies, turning back to the Lord and worshiping idols again. The pattern is so obvious it’s hard to feel much compassion for the Israelites. But then we stop and recall all the times we vowed to quit using our drug of choice or let go of a codependent relationship, only to find ourselves going back to it. Now we are thankful that God didn’t give up on us.

[janbear]

Judges 4:4-24 Amid the male dominated societies of Old Testament days, God raised up a woman, Deborah, to lead Israel. He chose another woman, Jael, to strike the final blow of victory. God refuses to be limited to our culture’s view of who is most valuable or useful. He can and will work with anyone who is willing to submit his or her life to God.

[janbear]

Ruth 2:3 When we allow God to be in charge of our lives, remarkable things happen. For instance, God brings the right people into our lives at the right times-to correct our course when we’ve strayed, or, as in Ruth’s case, to confirm that we have moved in the right direction. Often we see these holy moments only in hindsight, but the better our contact with God, the easier it will be to recognize them.