ADDICTION! ACCORDING TO THE “NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE,” THE DEFINITION OF AN ADDICTION IS: “A CHRONIC, RELAPSING DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY COMPULSIVE DRUG SEEKING AND USE DESPITE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES….”
ACCORDING TO THE “NATIONAL CENTER FOR DRUG ABUSE STATISTICS (NCDAS),” NEARLY HALF OF ALL PEOPLE 12 AND OLDER IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE USED AN ILLICIT SUBSTANCE AT LEAST ONCE. ADDICTION AND HOW PREVALENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION ARE TODAY IS AS FOLLOWS:
NEARLY 1 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE DIED OF A DRUG OVERDOSE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. ALSO, OVER 37 MILLION PEOPLE 12 AND OLDER ACTIVELY USED ILLICIT SUBSTANCES AND 13.5% OF AMERICANS 12 AND OLDER HAVE USED DRUGS IN THE PAST 30 DAYS.
25.4% OF ALL USERS OF ILLICIT DRUGS SUFFER FROM DRUG DEPENDENCY OR ADDICTION. THERE ARE NEARLY 140 MILLION PEOPLE 12 AND OLDER WHO DRINK ALCOHOL WHERE OVER 20% OF THEM SUFFER FROM ALCOHOL ABUSE OR ADDICTION.
DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION COST THE UNITED STATES OVER $700 BILLION ANNUALLY IN HEALTHCARE EXPENSES, CRIME-RELATED COSTS, AND LOST WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY.
THERE ARE MANY IN THE WORLD TODAY WHO FEEL THEIR LIFE IS A HOPELESS AND IRREVOCABLE MESS. THEY NEED PEOPLE OF FAITH TO TELL THEM OF JESUS AND PSALM 18:2, 6, 16-18, “THE LORD IS MY ROCK, MY FORTRESS, AND MY SAVIOR; MY GOD IS MY ROCK, IN WHOM I FIND PROTECTION. HE IS MY SHIELD, THE POWER THAT SAVES ME, AND MY PLACE OF SAFETY…
BUT IN MY DISTRESS I CRIED OUT TO THE LORD; YES, I PRAYED TO MY GOD FOR HELP. HE HEARD ME FROM HIS SANCTUARY; MY CRY TO HIM REACHED HIS EARS…HE REACHED DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND RESCUED ME; HE DREW ME OUT OF DEEP WATERS. HE RESCUED ME FROM MY POWERFUL ENEMIES, FROM THOSE WHO HATED ME AND WERE TOO STRONG FOR ME. THEY ATTACKED ME AT A MOMENT WHEN I WAS IN DISTRESS, BUT THE LORD SUPPORTED ME.
HE LED ME TO A PLACE OF SAFETY; HE RESCUED ME BECAUSE HE DELIGHTS IN ME.”
OUR GOD IS A REDEEMING AND SAVING GOD. HE CREATED US “ON PURPOSE, FOR A PURPOSE.” HE DELIGHTS IN US AND WE GIVE HIM JOY. ZEPHANIAH 3:17, “FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS LIVING AMONG YOU. HE IS A MIGHTY SAVIOR. HE WILL TAKE DELIGHT IN YOU WITH GLADNESS. WITH HIS LOVE, HE WILL CALM ALL YOUR FEARS. HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU WITH JOYFUL SONGS.”
THE STATISTICS ON ADDICTION SHOWS US THAT PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR THIS JOYFUL MESSAGE OF GOD THE FATHER AND HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST. AS JESUS DECLARED IN JOHN 10:10, “THE THIEF’S PURPOSE IS TO STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY. MY PURPOSE IS TO GIVE LIFE IN ALL ITS FULLNESS.”
MAY IT BE OUR PASSION TO FEED AND GIVE DRINK TO THOSE HUNGERING IN SIN’S DARKNESS AND STARVING IN ISOLATION FROM GOD, WITH THE BREAD AND WATER OF LIFE. JESUS SAID IN JOHN 6:35, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE. WHOEVER COMES TO ME WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY AGAIN. WHOEVER BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY.”
I DON’T FIND IT SURPRISING THAT JESUS MAKES SO MANY STATEMENTS ABOUT BEING OUR TRUE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT AND THE SUSTAINER OF OUR HEARTS IF WE MAKE THE CHOICE TO FEAST UPON HIM IN A HOLY RELATIONSHIP OF FAITH, OBEDIENCE, AND SERVICE.
HE SHOWS US, YET AGAIN, IN THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000 THAT HE IS ALL WE NEED AND THAT HE IS TRULY THE “BREAD OF LIFE.” WHEN JESUS BREAKS THE BREAD AND GIVES THANKS, HIS THANKSGIVING PRONOUNCED ON THESE GIFTS BECOMES MORE THAN JUST A PRAYER.
IN GIVING THANKS, JESUS NOT ONLY RECOGNIZES GOD AS THE SOURCE OF ALL BLESSINGS, BUT DECLARES HIM AS THE SOURCE OF ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER TO MULTIPLY THEM IN ABUNDANCE.
AT FIRST, THIS WAS JUST SOMEONE’S LUNCH OF BREAD AND FISH. THE BREAD WAS BARLEY AND THE FISH MOST LIKELY PICKELED ANCHOVY OR SARDINES. THIS WAS A TYPICAL MEAL FOR THE OUTCAST, POOR AND MARGINALIZED OF SOCIETY. JESUS ELEVATES THESE GIFTS IN GRATITUDE TO GOD AND IT BECOMES A SACRED BLESSING TO THOSE WHO ACCEPT IT AND BECOME NURISHED BY IT.
THE SCRIPTURE TELLS US, IN VERSE 12, THAT PEOPLE CONSUMED THE MEAL UNTIL THEY WERE FILLED OR “FULL.” THE WORD JOHN USES HERE MEANS “TO FILL UP, TO TAKE YOUR FILL” OR “TO SATISFY.”
JESUS DEMONSTRATES PSALM 107:8-9, “LET THEM PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS GREAT LOVE AND FOR THE WONDERFUL THINGS HE HAS DONE FOR THEM. FOR HE SATISFIES THE THIRSTY AND FILLS THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS.” JESUS COMPLETELY SATISFIES.
WHAT WE REALLY NEED AND THE FULFILMENT OF ALL DESIRES CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN JESUS. THIS IS THE SAME FULFILENT OF WHAT JESUS TAUGHT IN THE “BEATITUDES” IN MATTHEW 5:6, “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED.” JESUS FILLS, TO OVERFLOWING, EVERY VOID WE HAVE.
GOING BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED WITH ADDICTIONS! THERE ARE MANY THINGS PEOPLE ARE HOOKED ON AND DRIVEN TOWARDS IN THEIR LIVES. THERE ARE MANY THINGS WE CAN BE TEMPTED TO FILL OUR LIVES WITH OTHER THAN JESUS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HOLINESS.
THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT BEG TO BE ASKED: ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH JESUS? IS JESUS ENOUGH? ARE YOU CONTINUALLY SEEKING TO BE FILLED UP AND COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THE THINGS OF GOD? CAN YOU CRY OUT THE WORDS OF DAVID, IN PSALM 63:1,3 “O GOD, YOU ARE MY GOD, AND I LONG FOR YOU. MY WHOLE BEING DESIRES YOU; LIKE A DRY, WORN-OUT, AND WATERLESS LAND, MY SOUL IS THIRSTY FOR YOU; YOUR CONSTANT LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE ITSELF, AND SO I WILL PRAISE YOU.”
JESUS LONGS TO FEED AND NOURISH OUR SOULS TO THE POINT OF FILLING US TO SOUND AND COMPLETE SATSIFACTION IF WE WILL STAY CONNECTED TO HIM IN A SURRENDERED AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP. WE MUST RADICALLY PURSUE JESUS WHILE DENYING “SELF” AND FORSAKING THE WORLD.
THIS MUST BE OUR CHOICE. WE MUST DECIDE TO LIVE AND PLEASE GOD IN ALL THAT WE DO. WE MUST TAKE INITIATIVE AND WORK AT DEVELOPING THIS YEARNING FOR GOD THAT ENFLAMES OUR HEART AND OPENS OUR SOULS TO BREATHE IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST SO THAT WE CAN LIVE FOR HIM AND HIM, ALONE.
HUNGER FOR GOD ISN’T SOMETHING THAT WE CONJURE UP BY OURSELVES. IT’S A GIFT THAT WE CAN ONLY RECEIVE FROM HIM THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
WE PURSUE HOLINESS AND LIVE A SANCTIFIED LIFE. WE DIE TO SELF. WE FORSAKE THE WORLD. WE BECOME MORE AND MORE RADICALLY OBEDIENT TO GOD AND WELCOME THE INDWELLING SPIRIT’S GUIDANCE, TEACHINGS, AND CORRECTION.
WHEN JESUS BREAKS THE BREAD, GIVES THANKS TO GOD, AND OFFERS IT TO YOU, “TAKE YOUR FILL!” CONSUME ALL THE SPIRITUAL FOOD UNTIL YOU ARE COMPLETELY FULL AND SATISFIED. LIVE FOR JESUS. SHINE FOR JESUS. HELP OTHERS TO KNOW JESUS. GIVE YOUR LIVES COMPLETELY TO JESUS.
I CLOSE WITH THE “COVENANT PRAYER” OF JOHN WESLEY. MAY IT INSPIRE US TO HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER GOD. WESLEY WROTE: “I AM NO LONGER MY OWN, BUT YOURS. PUT ME TO WHAT YOU WILL, PLACE ME WITH WHOM YOU WILL. PUT ME TO DOING, PUT ME TO SUFFERING. LET ME BE PUT TO WORK FOR YOU OR SET ASIDE FOR YOU, PRAISED FOR YOU OR CRITICIZED FOR YOU. LET ME BE FULL, LET ME BE EMPTY. LET ME HAVE ALL THINGS, LET ME HAVE NOTHING. I FREELY AND FULLY SURRENDER ALL THINGS TO YOUR GLORY AND SERVICE. AND NOW, O WONDERFUL AND HOLY GOD, CREATOR, REDEEMER, AND SUSTAINER, YOU ARE MINE, AND I AM YOURS. SO BE IT. AND THE COVENANT WHICH I HAVE MADE ON EARTH, LET IT ALSO BE MADE IN HEAVEN. AMEN.”
