Savage About Sobriety May 5, 2023

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. - Psalm 1:3 (KJV).

Do you ever get tired of letting down the ones you love the most? Do you get tired of doing good for a while and then falling back into your old ways? It doesn't have to be a full relapse back into doing drugs or drinking alcohol. It can be something like losing your temper at home, skipping church, or not reading your Bible. A lot of times, it's the stuff people don't necessarily notice that leads to the bigger falls.

I know in my past, I could put together a few months of sobriety, have things going good at home, with work, and overall have my life in a good place. Then before I knew it, my life was a train wreck that could be seen from outer space. I could literally be in a really, really good place and then find myself strung out, no job, and not seeing my kids in a span of about six months flat, better yet, three months flat. So how do I keep on the straight and narrow and avoid having my life derailed by drugs and/or alcohol? How can I keep from letting little things turn into me drinking and drugging?

I believe King David had the answer to these questions in Psalm 1. In the first verse, David tells us, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." - Psalm 1:1 (KJV). Another word for counsel is advice. David is telling us to stop listening to and taking advice from ungodly people. He also says to not stand in the way of sinners...stop hanging out with people who aren't trying to change their ways and have no desire to live for God. David finishes that verse by telling us to not sit in the seat of the scornful. Scornful means to feel or express negative thoughts about someone, something, or somewhere. In other words, stop being so negative and try to have a positive outlook on your life. Don't just sit in a bad mood.

In verse 2, David tells us what we should do instead of the behaviors he warns us about in verse 1. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." - Psalm 1:2 (KJV). The law of the Lord is the Bible. Read and study your Bible. Spend time with God reading the Bible and praying to God. That is how you meditate day and night. Then you get to Psalm 1:3 - "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." - (KJV).

We all make mistakes and have our ups and downs, but if we do what David tells us in Psalm 1:1-3, then we will no doubt have more consistency in our sober, Christian walk with God. A tree planted by the rivers of water is healthy, strong, rooted, and not easily moved. That sounds exactly what I want my life to be like. Healthy, strong, rooted, and not easily moved. That's my prayer today for myself and for everyone reading this. God Bless.