Step 12:   Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the steps,
we tried to carry this message to others and to practice
these principles in all our affairs.

December 1

Recommended reading: Joshua 13 and 14

I have a love/hate relationship with step twelve. I love the concept: we are spiritual beings, awakened from darkness into God’s glorious light. We have the grand privilege of carrying this message of hope to others who hurt and feel hopeless. The part I hate is that sometimes this “carrying” is difficult, inconvenient, tedious, and (rarely, but once in a while) dangerous. It usually involves taking a risk, and it never comes with a solid guarantee that we’ll get the results we desperately desire.

Sometimes carrying God’s message of hope requires me to visit bad neighborhoods, but usually it is no big deal. Once I was in one of those neighborhoods and was chased by a man. I don’t think he was following me so that he could compliment me on my cool shoes or offer to do me a favor. He was about the business of doing evil. He failed to achieve his goal, but he scared me half to death. While I was hot-footing it to my car and calculating the speed with which I could get in and lock my doors, I was scared silly and was painfully aware of how alone I was on that street.

David expresses his commitment to faith over fear when he cries, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” in Psalm 23. I wonder if this was a cry of calm assurance. Is this a poetic utterance penned while David lounged one day in a green pasture beside still water? Filled to the brim with a restored soul, did David wax eloquently about his confidence in the presence of God and boldly claim His power over evil as a servant of the King of Kings? I’ve been there and done that. Often when I sneak away for an extended break at the beach or in the mountains, my spirit soars as I spend quality time with God, eat good food, sleep whenever I’m in the mood, and play hard. It’s easy to be a spiritual giant in the seclusion of a good vacation with no responsibilities looming on the horizon. It’s my prayer that each of us regularly sets aside time for green pastures, quiet waters, and soul restoration. I trust these times will give us courage, vision, and a renewed strength to be exactly who God sees when He dreams about us. I suspect that on days like this, all of us cry out, “I’m with you, God! I am not afraid! I can do anything you set before me! I can and will do your good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Perhaps this is exactly how David felt when he wrote this psalm, but perhaps not.

Thought for today: Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)

Thought for tomorrow: I’ve always thought of David in a happy space writing this work. But after my scare I came home and read this psalm a bit differently. Ask God to show you what He wants you to hear from His heart today. More on this topic in tomorrow’s devotional.

December 1
Teresa McBean

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