“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” ~ Isaiah 41:13
My life was in shambles. Every single day for the past several years, I sat alone in my house and sought my escape through a bottle that had become my god. A peaceful and contented life had long since passed, replaced with a life of utter fear and loneliness.
A depressing phone call came one afternoon. The man who loved me more than anyone, the man whom I loved more than any other in this life, had just passed away.
The grief I felt at that moment quickly turned to enormous shame. My father had been ill for a while; he’d received his terminal diagnosis a few years earlier. But the god I had given my life over to many years earlier wouldn’t let go. Instead of spending time with my dad during the final year of his life, I had neglected him. I chose to stay home and continue destroying my own life with alcohol.
When I received that phone call that afternoon, I was racing to the hospital to see him one last time. I was only an hour away when I got the devastating news.
I no longer wanted to live. As I sat in my car on the shoulder of this small rural Kentucky road and contemplated the worthlessness of my life, I was faced with only two choices: either turn to God and beg Him to help me change, or take my own life. My life had officially bottomed out; this was my turning point.
Instead of taking my own life that day, God took my right hand.
As I earnestly prayed to Him for the first time in ages, I could literally feel His presence inside my car that day. He was there. He listened, He comforted, and He responded by giving me a couple of things that I hadn’t felt in many years:
Love and Encouragement.
Although that was only four years ago, it seems like a lifetime ago to me. So much has happened since, both joy and sadness. My wife would lose her career within three months of my return from rehab. A close friend would suddenly pass away shortly after that. Then little over a year later, both my sister and my mother would be called home to join my father in Heaven.
Throughout everything that has gone on, God has refused to let go of my right hand. Do not be afraid, my son. I love you and I’m here with you by your side. I will help you get through this. Give everything to me… your joy, your sadness, your hopes, your fears… give all of it to me and I will lead your ways.
I’ve had a lot of things happen since getting sober. A lot of trials and temptations. But I have taken God at His Word. He has kept His promise to me.
Friend, you may find yourself facing some of the same trials and hardships that I’ve faced the past few years. You may feel alone and afraid just like I did, not sure of who to turn to for help.
Let me encourage you today. Read that passage from Isaiah 41:13 above and pray the same prayer I prayed that day when I found myself at my turning point in life. God, I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to continue dying the way I’ve been dying. Would you help me to live? Would you help me to change? I desperately need your help. Would you help me? Would you encourage me, and surround me with people who can show me a better way to live?
Friend, there’s a better life waiting. There is a friend who can do all things who will walk with you every step of the way. He will take your right hand and never let go, no matter the situation or circumstance.
That friend is Jesus Christ.
Former Blackout Artist 