Desiring Life

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

"Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken" (Psalms 34:12-20).

I wonder how your life is going. I know that drugs stole and trampled much of the joy you once had in life, so I wonder if you still enjoy living in this wondrous world our Lord has made. So much that we get out of life reflects what we put into it. You can't find good while doing evil, yet I've seen you trying to do that with your life. You can't claim worldly people as friends and expect to be spiritual.

It was disappointments and stress in your life that made you vulnerable to the temptation of drugs. Marijuana seems like such an easy way to get rid of stress. It doesn't in reality. All it does is mask the stresses, push them off for a later time, to then overwhelm your senses when you try to stop using marijuana. What is sad is that you've forgotten that the Lord can soothe all the concerns from your life -- and without any after-effects! But if you turn from God, not only is His aid not there, you cause Him to stand against you.

I want you to have a long and joyful life on earth, with the hope of heaven ever before you. So discard the lies, end the profanity, stop the evil, and humble yourself before the Almighty. Desire life! I think about you and pray for you daily.