From Marijuana Addiction to Lasting Deliverance

Marijuana addiction. In drug circles this has been laughed off as benign for decades.  I recall as a young man that such a concept was treated as an absurdity by my peers.  "You can't get addicted to marijuana!" They'd scoff.  "It's a dependency! Not an addiction!"  I remember hearing that statement, and had trouble making sense of it as the two terms seemed synonymous. Nevertheless I figured a dependency meant it was much less serious.  I feel one of the many reasons marijuana is not taken seriously is because of the great over exaggeration of it's effects from propaganda akin to Reefer Madness.  However, in these times the opposite has seemed to occur.  With the push of it's health effects, now even grandmothers dotingly say they got a script for their "medicine" after stopping by their local  marijuana dispensary.  Marijuana is argued as harmless by many today, but in my personal experience with it for over a decade it became a ball and chain I could not sever from my heart.  I eventually got delivered from it along with alcohol, but not in the ways conventionally taught by the world. 

My friend, are you addicted to marijuana or something else?  Deep down you want to quit, but just can't seem to buck the habit?  I was in that place for years and years.  I remember I would get overwhelmingly anxious when I wasn't a puppet under it's effects.  You see as a young man, I struggled with depression and anxiety.  Marijuana would provide a fleeting escape for me, I would forget my struggles, and as soon as they'd mushroom back up, I'd go right back to it.  It became a cycle that crystallized more weight upon my shoulders and eventually became too much for me to bear.  My work performance became less than mediocre, I became impulsive and toxic.  I found myself spending less and less time with my family, and more time with vain entertainment.  I became incredibly lazy, and didn't want to spend an ounce of my schedule outside of servicing myself in my hedonistic sphere.  In the beginning, I could recall things under the spell of the drug, but as I got older my memory got worse and worse.  I would see movies on it, and completely forget what I watched the next day.  This bled into a fragmented reality where years became a blur, and I could not live a moment without being absolutely consumed by it.  I remember I wanted so desperately to escape it, I sought counselors, and read self-help literature.  Meditation seemed to help but it never lasted. I wanted a normal life, but it was the only thing that seemed to offer calmness to my mental chaos. Ironically marijuana use was making my life worse at the same time. At it's peak it lead me to a place where I was completely heartbroken. I want to share with you what I discovered to be the solution to my addiction problem, and pray you discover this wonderful treasure for yourself.

Are you heartbroken?  You may not know it and neither did I at the time, but if you are you're in a great place for deliverance.  

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. -Psalm 34:18

The good news my friend it that if your heart is in fact broken, the Bible says God is near.  If you're still in denial about your problem, or take pride in your habit, your heart is not ready. You see, our hearts are where our treasures are, is your treasure of this world?  The world only can offer you temporal treasures that will rot over time. Meditate on this fact if your pride still consumes you. The reason you seek marijuana is because your heart seeks after corruptible things that have no lasting impact.

 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth. and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Matthew 6:19

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matt 6:21

You see, the reason we seek and build up worldly strongholds in our hearts is because of man's appetite for sin.  Sin is insatiable, meaning it can never offer lasting fulfillment.

[Those that walk after the flesh] Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin.  -2nd Peter 2:14

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. -John 3:19

My friend the reason you struggle is because the world can only offer you a temporary solution to your sin problem. Sin is the entire reason that we have a void in hearts, it's what separates man from God (Isaiah 59:2). It's what causes men to lose hope, and the world offers nothing but pleasures for a season. Just as the world offers no real solution in our time here, it offers no solution after death.

[Moses] Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; -Hebrews 11:25

For the wages of sin is death;. -Romans 6:23

My friend, all of mankind's hearts are filled with a void the world simply cannot fill.  Humble your heart my fellow struggler, God is near and wants to help you.  

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. -John 4:14

Jesus will fill you with an unlimited supply of water your heart thirsts after.  Believe in Christ with your whole heart, and he will not only save you from a much grander eternal penalty but will also deliver you from your current problem of addiction.  This was the case with me, I wanted deliverance more than anything, I needed a savior. Carnal weapons have no place against spiritual strongholds so I sought Christ with my whole heart (Acts 8:37).  Not only did my addictions fall off without any effort of my own, but Christ filled me like His Word promises.  I no longer thirst for the strongholds that consumed my life, and so long as you continually seek and feed on His Word, you will no longer have an appetite for the temporal things the world has to offer.  Input the Lord Jesus and lasting fulfillment will be your output.  Believe on Him to have eternal life, cling to Him and he will protect you from the wicked desires of your heart. You will never be perfect, but he is your advocate. He will be your shepherd just allow him to lead, His power is beyond measure.

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 2nd Cor 10:4-5)

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Psalm 23:1-13

Pictures of redemption

       For so long as we are anchored to the earth in this life, we have a choice to embark on.  We can choose our way or God's way.  The Bible provides pictures of men and their failed attempts at redemption contrasted to God and his perfect way to salvation. In a man's fallen nature the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life cause him to love his darkness rather than light.  Men like to make life about themselves, so it comes as no surprise that they like to construct a destination that seems fit for them.  Men want to avoid their creator, enjoy the pleasures of this life, and ultimately create a belief system unto themselves.  Men love working their way through life in what seems right in their own eyes, instead of yielding and trusting in a loving God who draws all men unto Himself.  

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. -Proverbs 14:12

    I can recall being tethered to the chains of addiction.  I was seeking to cover the sin in my life in my own way.  I felt in spite of my mental affair with alcohol and drugs, that I was a pretty good person and it would all pan out in the end. However, at the end of the day, the bottle in my hand served as a metaphor for what I felt inside, empty and without hope. I was trusting in myself instead of my creator.  Nothing is new under the sun, in fact, men have been attempting to cover their sin since the beginning...

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Genesis 3:6-7

    After disobeying God, and in effect doing things their own way, we find the parents of all living men marinated in shame.  We then see a vain attempt to cover up their sin and shame by the works of their hands-- stitching fig leaves together to make aprons. This is a picture of man's attempt of working to cover sin and shame by their own power. Luckily and shortly thereafter, we find God presenting his picture of redemption: 

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. -Genesis 3:21

    God provided his own covering, a covering that required the blood of an animal.  Years later in ancient Israel, an unblemished Lamb would be used to temporarily atone for sin.  The shedding of blood in both these cases ultimately pictures the future fulfillment of the Messiah's blood shed on the cross for the redemption of man.  Christ's sacrifice is the ultimate covering.   He was the final sacrifice, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:36).

    Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first [covenant], that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. -Hebrews 10:8-10

    Christ's sacrifice was the ultimate and final sacrifice, our trust in Him offers redemption, the works of our hands only offer condemnation. We see this picture again in the historical account of Cain and Abel:

    And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. -Genesis 4:3-4

In bringing God the works of his hands, we see Cain trying to please God by his own works. This pictures man's attempt to please God. In contrast, we see Abel trusting God, by bringing the firstlings of his flock.  Abel's offering illustrates innocent blood being shed for the remission of sin, another picture of the Messiah.  We can know God had instructed Cain and Abel in this story as God tells Cain in Genesis 4:7: "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?" Abel did it God's way, Cain did it his way.  One was accepted, the other rejected.

  The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. -Ecclesiastes 1:9

    Some men feel if they're good enough they'll make it out okay, some men feel you can't know God so it's best to live in the moment. Some men say there is no God while speaking in a perpetual complaint of Him. Some men will follow the ritual of his religion, while all God requires is a relationship. What does a true relationship with God require?  Only trust. Christ died for you, and His Word says you can know Him (1st John 5:13).  Believe what is written in His Word, and he promises he will save you. Believe that he died, was buried, and rose again for your sake. All those who come to Him He will in no wise cast out.  

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. -John 6:35-40