Take Your Fill

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.