Month: January 2025

It became a snare to Gideon and to his family. Judges 8:27 In some recovery meetings I’ve been to, they take time halfway through the meeting to smoke. I’ve also worked at an impatient treatment facility where they have a designated smoking area and take smoke breaks. This has always struck me as bizarre. There…
Read more

And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. Judges 8:27 Imagine that I got sober, wrote a book about it, and then that book became tremendously successful (like I said,…
Read more

Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. Judges 7:20 When it comes to treatment, the addicted patients with whom I work usually fall into two groups – those who want to go to treatment…
Read more

And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.” Judges 7:14 This may sound absurd to you, but there was a time when I expected that my belief in God should shield…
Read more

But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp. Judges 7:10-11 When my son was a newborn, we found great joy in rocking him to sleep every…
Read more

The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” Judges 7:2 I’ve often said that I’m not responsible for having the disease of addiction, but I alone am responsible to seek…
Read more

Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar. Judges 6:32 When my addiction came to light and as word began to spread, I wanted to run and hide. I strongly considered moving eight states away as the thought of a…
Read more

Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” Judges 6:39 Believing in God, I’ve also believed that…
Read more

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” Judges 6:31 In our current culture, there are…
Read more

Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him?” Judges 6:30-31 For…
Read more