A RECOVERED ALCOHOLIC
Hello, my name is Leroy. I am 52 years old, and I am a recovered Alcoholic, and have been for nine years. I would like to share with you my testimony of what the Lord Jesus has done for me. You noticed that I didn’t say "recovering" alcoholic; I have already recovered by the blood of the lamb and the word of my testimony! I am a new Creation created in Christ Jesus for good works. Old things have passed away and all things are new. You see, that Old Man is gone, Praise God!
I started drinking when I was 13 years old, Why you may ask? I have not the slightest idea why I started drinking. I could say it was because some of my family did or I was around it quite often watching my family drink, but I believe that is trying to put the blame on someone else. I drank it because I wanted to. Something inside of me kept saying, "Try it, it won't hurt, just one little drink." So I did what that voice was telling me to do, and that is when I became hooked on alcohol.
Yes, I fought the battle of the bottle for more than 30 years. There were times when in a drunken stupor I’d cry out to the Lord for help. I wanted to stop drinking but couldn’t. I was raised in church and was in and out of it most of my life trying to serve the Lord the best way I knew how. But the desire for a drink was stronger than I was. Alcohol had me; it was in control, so I would stop going to church and start drinking again. The devil would tempt me with thoughts of suicide, but I still could hear the Lord’s voice saying, "No, that’s not the way."
My family didn’t want to be around me, because when I came to visit or they came by to see me, I was either drunk or drinking. Yes, I held down a job and would provide for my family, but I assure you that I would have enough money for a drink. And yes, there were times when I spent all my wages on booze instead of paying bills, letting my wife and sons suffer from lack of things they needed. There were times, after a week of being drunk, that when I was coming down off the alcohol, I would cry out to God, "Please Lord help me!" But it seemed like no help came.
Yes, I have been in treatment centers. Then I would stay sober for a month or two, and then that little voice would come back saying, "well just drink a six pack and no more." I would listen to it for days and fight it, but soon I would give in, and I would go get me that six pack of beer. Before I knew it, I was getting another one and then it would be whiskey. I have had people come around to visit me and I never remembered them being there. I would sit in this old chair, drinking and watching television. This would go on for days, and finally when I would sober up, beside my chair was a big pile of beer cans and whiskey bottles. I would think . . . how can a man live like this?!
I used to have an old shot gun stuck behind the TV for rabbit hunting, and the more I’d drink, the more that little voice would say, "why don’t you just stick the shot gun in your mouth and pull the trigger?" But there was another voice that would tell me, "NO! That’s not the way, don’t do it!" So I would ask my wife to hide the gun, and as soon as she hid it, the little suicide voice would stop. This went on for years and by the grace of God I am still alive. Something inside of me wouldn’t let me end it. The devil couldn't get me to use the shot gun so he thought he would try to kill me another way. On August 1, 1991, I had a heart attack. I could of died, but by the grace and mercy of God, I made it through.
While I was in the hospital on my sick bed, Jesus was knocking on my heart’s door. I made a decision during that time to come back to the Lord. On the first Sunday I was home from the hospital, I went back to church, where I belonged in the first place. After I had been going to church for a few months, I realized that the craving for a drink had stopped. God had completely delivered me and I didn’t even ask Him to, or did I?
All those times in the past that I had cried out to him for help, I thought He wasn’t listening, but now I know He was. It took something drastic in my life for me to listen to what he was trying to tell me. The Old devil tried to kill me, but Jesus came on the scene, and when Jesus shows up, things happen! Now I am saved, filled with the Holy Ghost, and I praise God for he does hear and answers prayer.
That night somewhere in time, I was totally and completely delivered from alcohol, and I have to this day never touched another drink...Praise God! Jesus took this Old Drunk, put a guitar in my hands and now I play and sing in church for the Lord.
There is hope for everyone that has a drinking or drug problem. Jesus can and will set you free like he did for me. It feels good to wake up in the morning not worrying where my next drink is coming from. You see, I am a walking, talking, miracle of God. What I couldn’t do, Jesus did! Yes, there are still life’s problems, but now I can face them with the help of the Lord Jesus.
If there is anyone reading this who is having trouble with alcohol, I pray that you will listen to that still small inner voice of God that is trying to get your attention and cry out to Him - He will help you! Please do it before it is too late. You see, I could have died and ended up in hell, but God was merciful to me. There are many people in this world dying from alcohol abuse, so please don’t be on that list (road or lifestyle) the devil would like to keep you on. Why not accept God into your life today before it is too late . . . Jesus is there to help you.
You may say, I don’t need Jesus, but everyone needs Jesus . . . Leroy Hicks
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