Hope in the Psalms: Seeing Triumph Over Addiction in the Songs of DavidSample

“Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows,” writes David in Psalm 16:4. And though he was writing within a culture that accepted multiple gods as a fact of life, his words still have relevance today.

The truth is, there are plenty of people in this world today who multiply their sorrows by choosing to chase after “another god,” whether that’s status, money, sex, food, drugs, alcohol, or any combination of those.

When we focus on anything other than the One True God to satisfy us, we are setting ourselves up for an inevitable failure. Because outside of Jesus, it’s all just empty promises.

The next verse, verse 5, makes this plain: “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup…”

When God is your “portion” and your “cup,” then you can be satisfied. It’s not like eating a bunch of empty calories and wondering why you’re bloated but hungry a couple of hours later. Choosing God is making the healthiest possible choice; choosing God is choosing spiritual nourishment that will always satisfy and that will never run dry.

You’ve made choices in the past that multiplied your sorrows, and now you’re making the kinds of choices that will lead in the opposite direction. Keep it up! The Lord is your portion and your cup! Eat heartily and drink deeply of his wisdom!