4 Minute Devotions: Friday Night War Cry

Late on Friday nights, during my old drinking days, you would usually find me in a pub with a whole lot of other hardened drinkers. We would swap stories and tell jokes, take the mickey out of one another, and generally have loud conversations that annoyed the rest of the people in the bar. The drunker we got, the louder we became. The more whiskies that we drank, the less our brains would operate. I think I enjoyed myself at the time, but I was usually too drunk to know.

Isaiah 8:9 Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered!

Towards the end of the evening, a person from the Salvation Army would come in and sell their weekly newspaper, “The War Cry.” The Salvationist went from table to table, successfully selling their bundles of papers because no one wanted to offend them.

Usually, we would by a “war Cry” between us at the table and then we would read the articles. We would all laugh at these stupid Christians, in their stupid uniforms, selling their stupid newspapers. We thought that we were way too intelligent for all that Jesus stuff, but it had a weird affect upon us; we would all start to talk about God, life, and meaning.

Sometimes I would take the paper home with me and when I was sober the next day, I would glance at the articles. For a couple of minutes I would reflect upon my own life and where it was heading, but then I would start to think about which pub I would go to drink in the evening.

I cannot say for certain that the “War Cry” had any affect upon me and led me back to Christ. But perhaps seeds of faith were being planted by God for my eventual rescue from alcoholism.

That’s why I like to write these devotionals because of the seed planting that mysteriously occurs in other people’s lives. I’ve had emails from readers all around the world telling me that something I’ve written helped them through a crisis or enabled them to reconnect to God. It’s a wonderful blessing, but it all belongs to God. He’s the One who started the process on Friday nights, in Scottish bars, more than thirty years ago.

Prayer: Lord God, Your ways are mysterious and it’s only when we look back that we can see where You were leading us. Thank You for shaping, forming, and directing our lives. Thank You for Your Holy presence throughout our days. In Jesus’ Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

Erin devotions: Joyful Dreams

Psalm 126 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It resonates with what I’ve experienced in my life. When I was a teenager and had no control over the sadness in my home life, I hated myself and my circumstances. This self-hatred took me away from my family and friends because I supplanted them with a love of alcohol. I put myself into danger and exiled my emotions, using beer, whisky, and wine to escape from my frustrations and fears.

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Bible Verse of the Day

Psalm 126:2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.Then it was said among the nations,” The LORD has done great things for them."

And then I found the Lord and rediscovered my joy of Jesus that I had in my heart when I was in elementary school. I still struggled with alcohol for a while, but eventually I was able to let it go because I became addicted to God, Jesus and the Gospel. It was like coming out of a self-imposed nightmare and going into a God given dream.

Throughout my life I’ve seen people struggle with the same demons of drink and emotional attacks. I’ve tried to help them overcome their addiction and show them the joy of the Lord. I’d love to say that I’ve been successful every time, but sadly some people are more self-destructive than others and eventually they ruin their relationships, empty their emotions, and destroy their bodies. When that occurs, I feel heart broken because I know that things could have been so much different if they truly let Christ into their lives.

If you’re struggling with an addiction or an obsession, or you know someone close beside you who is, get help. Don’t leave it until it’s too late or ignore it, hoping that it will all go away. There are lots of good counselors and godly pastors, specialists and experts who could empower and enable you to overcome. With their help and Christ in your heart, you can turn those horrible nightmares into hopeful dreams. Seize the day and let that transforming moment begin in your life now.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about us, so we can never hide or conceal anything from You. You are completely aware of our weakness and addictions, secrets and obsessions. Help us to find help and seek assistance in overcoming those demons of deception that want to destroy our hearts and happiness, our spirits and souls. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Rescue

Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.(NIV)

I was talking to someone the other day about my struggle with alcohol when I was a teenager. I grew up in the West of Scotland where the culture imposes a lot of pressure on young people to get as drunk as often as they can, just to prove that they are normal and can handle liquor. I started drinking when I was thirteen and five years later, I became addicted. I honestly cannot remember going more than a day without drinking beer, vodka, or whisky from when I was eighteen to twenty.

Typically, there was a great shadow or sadness over my soul and the only way that I could find to get rid of the darkness was to brighten up my spirits with intoxicating spirits. But alcohol is a depressant and when my ‘spiritual’ high was over, I was worse off than before.

People who loved me hinted that I had a problem, but no one really confronted me or intervened. It’s not that they didn’t care – I’m sure that my parents and some of my friends wanted me to stop – it’s just that I was so strong-willed and stubborn, they didn’t know what to do or say. My addiction made me powerless to give it up; and it paralyzed my loved ones who wanted to help.

It took intervention to rescue me – divine intervention. God got a hold of my attention and when I pleaded for help, He heard my prayer. I had to hit rock bottom before I could start on the road to recovery. I had to fall on my knees and ask for help before any turning point could begin in my life.

Since those dark days, I’ve known others to be in the same predicament, who have wrestled with the dark demons of addiction. Some of them have lost that battle and died prematurely, but I’m glad to say that there are others who have found God and conquered their dependency on alcohol. They have also experienced that precious moment of divine rescue in their lives when God has saved them from themselves.

Perhaps some of you who are reading or hearing this are struggling with an addiction. Maybe you have a loved one who is wrestling with nicotine, alcohol, drugs or pornography. Ask God to intervene; pray for divine rescue; plead for deliverance from the darkness. He has the power – all you need is the prayer for perseverance.

Prayer: Lord God, when we do damage to ourselves through solvent abuse and chemical dependency, rescue us. When we try to overcome addiction and obsession from things that harm our bodies, minds, and souls, deliver us. And when we or our loved ones have taken the wrong path, made foolish choices, or have slid back into fallen ways, restore us, O God, to Your light, Your life, and Your love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.