02/16/2026
There was a time in my life when addiction and alcohol felt stronger than my promises, stronger than my discipline, stronger than my prayers. I would tell myself this was the last time. I would promise God I would do better. And then I would fall again. The cycle was exhausting. The shame was heavier than the habit. And underneath it all was fear. Fear that maybe this was who I really was. Fear that maybe I had gone too far. Fear that even if God forgave me, I would never truly be free.
Then Psalm 34 stopped being a nice verse and became my lifeline. “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4, ESV). Notice what David does not say. He does not say, I fixed myself and then God responded. He says, I sought the LORD. That is where grace begins. Not with your strength. With your turning. I did not come to God impressive. I came desperate. And He answered.
The verse says He delivered me from all my fears. Addiction is not just about substances. It is about fear. Fear of facing pain sober. Fear of sitting alone with your thoughts. Fear of being exposed. Fear of not being enough. When God began freeing me, He did not just remove behavior. He started healing fear. He showed me that I was not abandoned. He showed me that the cross had already carried my worst moments. He showed me that I was loved before I was clean.
Then David says, “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed” (Psalm 34:5, ESV). I used to live looking down. Avoiding eye contact. Carrying private guilt. But when you look to Him, something shifts. Radiance is not perfection. It is the absence of shame. It is the confidence that your past no longer has legal authority over your identity. Jesus did not just forgive my sin. He removed my shame. He did not tolerate me. He restored me.
And then comes the invitation that melts my heart every time. “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8, ESV). Addiction promises relief but leaves you emptier. It offers comfort but demands control. God offers refuge. Not performance. Not probation. Refuge. A safe place for the weak. A covering for the exposed. A Father for the prodigal.
When I finally tasted His goodness, I realized I had been settling for counterfeit comfort. His presence was better than the buzz. His peace was deeper than the escape. His love was stronger than the craving. Grace did not shame me out of addiction. Grace loved me out of it. Grace whispered, You are still My son. Grace reminded me that the blood of Jesus was not fragile. Grace stood between me and my past and declared, Paid in full.
If God did this for me, He can do it for anyone. I am not the exception. I am evidence. You are not too bound. You are not too ashamed. You are not too far gone. The same Lord who answered David still answers. The same Lord who delivered him from fear still delivers. The same Lord who makes faces radiant still removes shame.
If you feel stuck right now, seek Him. Not with polished words. With honesty. Look to Him, even if your eyes are wet with regret. Take refuge in Him, even if you feel unworthy. His goodness is not reserved for the strong. It is revealed to the desperate.
Taste and see. He is still good.
