An unknown drug addict, lost in the dream world of heroin, wrote the following:

   King Heroin is my shepherd, I shall always want. He maketh me to lie down in the gutters. 
He leadeth beside the troubled waters. He destroyeth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of wickedness for the efforts sake. Yea, I shall walk through the valley of poverty and will fear all 
evil for thou, Heroin, art with me. Thy needle and capsule try vainly to comfort me. Thou strippest 
the table of groceries in the presence of my family. Thou robbest my head of reason. My cup of sorrow runneth over. Surely heroin addiction shall stalk me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Dammed forever.

   This typewritten psalm was found by a police officer in a Long Beach, Calif. On the back of the card is handwritten this postscript:

   “Truly this is my psalm. I am a young woman, 20 years of age, and for the past year and one half I have been wandering down the nightmarish alley of the junkie. I want to quit taking dope and try, but I can’t. Jail didn’t cure me. Nor did rehab help me for long. The doctor told my family that it would have been better and indeed kinder if the person who first got me hooked on dope had taken a gun and blown my brains out, and I wish to God she had. Dear God how I do wish it.”

   Illicit drug use is the greatest among young people, but it is by no means confined to them. The cause for it is directly attributable to sin and Satan, which comes from a rejection of God and His Devine word. In order to keep this great tragedy from occurring in your life, young man or young lady, I would encourage you to heed the Bible admonition” --- “Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 
(2 Tim.2:22) --- “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (Js. 4:7)

   But one can neither successfully “Flee youthful lust” nor “Resist the devil” by his own strength; ---
The help of God is needed.  “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13) --- Are you already on drugs or alcohol??  --- Do not despair! You are very important to God and He loves you dearly, and He can help you. (Isa. 1:18-20) God says; --- “Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, --- Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. --- If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; --- But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword " Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

   You most assuredly can be saved!! --- Saved from drugs, alcohol and saved from the terrible eternity of Hell. --- That is IF you follow God’s plan of salvation, which is:
1. Our Lord Jesus declares in (Jno. 8:24); --- “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
2. He also says in (Lk. 13:3); ---”I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
3. In teaching His disciples the value of the soul and assured them that God knew the very number of the hairs on their head, He said to them in (Lk. 12:8-9); --- “And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; --- but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
4. In (ACTS 22:) The apostle Paul in giving his defense before the Jews (this same Paul/Saul  who had vigorously persecuted the church and had many Christians thrown into prison, tortured and killed) and was explaining about howJesus appeared to him striking him blind as he was on the road to Damascus with authority to persecute even more Christians and in (Vs. 7) Jesus said; --- “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Jesus identifies Himself, and in (Vs. 10 Saul asked; --- “What should I do, Lord?” Jesus answers; --- “Arise and go into Damascus; and there you will be told all that has been appointed for you to do.” --- And there came to Saul in Damascus a certain devout man by the name of Ananias, and standing near to Saul, he said in (Vs. 13); --- “Brother Saul, receive your sight!”
   Back in (Acts 9:9) We read where (concerning this same occasion), Saul neither ate nor drank during the three days he was blind; --- Also, he was praying (VS. 11), Showing his repentant state of mind. --- Then finally, in (Acts 22:16) Ananias asks Saul; -- “And now why do you delay? Arise and be baptized, and  wash away your sins, calling on His name.” That is, invoking or confessing  Christ’ name. --- This is exactly the same as the Holy Spirit promised those on the Day of Pentecost, that if those believers would repent and be baptized, they would receive forgiveness of sins. (Acts 2:37-38);
“Now when they heard this (That they were guilty of crucifying Christ), they were pierced to the heart (convicted), and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?’ ---Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  (Which is the hope of eternal salvation)

   So now that you know God’s simple plan for salvation, Believe, Repent, Confess Christ, and being buried with Him in baptism for the remission or forgiveness of every past sin; --- The question arises, what does God expect of me now that I’m a Christian? --- (Rev. 2:10-11) Jesus promises; --- “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. --- He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Christians).  He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
   The true Christian will not walk according to the fleshly or material thing of this world, but rather according to the Spirit. (Rom. 8:4-8)

   My earnest prayer to the God of heaven, is that this small admonition will help and encourage some soul out there who might have that feeling of hopelessness as the poor young lady mentioned above.
                                                                                                     Prayerfully and humbly submitted,
                                                                                                                      Earl Wilburn
 
 
Questions and comments more than welcomed: ewilburn@austin.rr.com 
Please don't delete this from your files, as who knows that while you may not at this time be moved by these scriptures but perhaps in time you might want to refer back to this and come to know better the love of the Lord. --- ew