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Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it . . . Haggai 1:8 I’m a sensation seeker (google it to learn more). I want to feel. I need to experience. Aimed in the wrong direction, this can be catastrophic. Sensation seekers often turn to high-risk behavior (e.g.…
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You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. Haggai 1:6 The recurrent pattern for the addict is compulsive drug use to get high, followed by letdown and withdrawal. Then, in his misery, the addict’s only solution is to repeat the process over again, never quite returning to the good…
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On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst . . .Zephaniah 3:11 The addict spends a tremendous amount of time wallowing in his own shame. He hides his destructive behavior and when he’s around…
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The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail . . . Zephaniah 3:5 For the addict, waking up every day to the same wretched reality, simply becomes routine. What was once voluntary and pleasurable, has now, like a cancer, consumed all…
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Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law. Zephaniah 3:4 I heard this line the other day. God put this desire in my heart. I won’t go into details, but I was pretty sure this desire came, not from God, but from this individual’s fallen nature.…
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Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction . . . Zephaniah 3:1-2 On a recent winter hike in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, I found myself in unfamiliar territory, underdressed, contending with a recent snow. The trail was well-marked though, and…
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Before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the Lord. Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility . . . Zephaniah 2:2-3 As a teenager, I recall thinking that the adults around me were naturally mature and that I would automatically get…
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I will punish the men who are complacent . . . Zephaniah 1:12 Those who find a genuine recovery, but then go on to relapse, often have a similar story to tell. At first, in the midst of some misery, the addict vows to change, and he does . . . for a while. He may…
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I will stretch out my hand against Judah . . . those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom . . . Zephaniah 1:4-5 In my addiction, I claimed to believe one thing, while behaving in a manner completely contrary to that belief. I would love to say that my hypocrisy…
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Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines . . . yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18 For most of us, when we’ve caused ourselves some significant misery, turning to God in that misery is natural. When in…
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