Our guest speaker tonight was Pastor Jason North, Associate Pastor of the Oakwood University Church. As a DAP Counselor, he had never toured the Recovery Home. Therefore, we invited his wife, Angie, and him to dinner before Vespers. The guys prepared a scrumptious meal and we all dined sufficiently.
At Vespers , Pastor North’s key text was Psalm 51:1-3, David’s prayer for mercy and forgiveness. We understood more clearly the reason David was called “ a man after God’s own heart.”
David was so sorry that he let God down. He chased after God’s heart, trying to possess it. He wanted to be in the bosom of God. How could he get back into the grace of God? How could he get God to love him more? He pursued God’s heart. He did not want to play with God. He refocused and kept chasing after God’s heart.
After the joy of God’s salvation was restored and a willing heart to obey Him, he promised to teach transgressors His ways and knew sinners would return to Him.
Pastor North’s message to the men was to stop going through the motions of changing their lives. Like David, chase after God’s heart; no faking in their recovery. Consider deep soul searching. Sincerely ask, “ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new, right spirit within me. Don’t ask me to leave your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and grant me a willing heart to obey you. “
Psalm 51:10-12
What a powerful message! Our prayer is that these men will adhere to it. As a role model, a man formerly addicted to drugs, Pastor North is highly respected by these men. They love him and know that he can relate and help them change their lives. What a blessing!
