Do you remember Popeye the Sailor Man? He was a popular comic book hero who later had his own TV show. I watched it every Saturday morning as a kid. Popeye had tremendous forearms, and always had a pipe in his mouth. He faced his archrival, Bluto, at every turn. Bluto had every advantage over Popeye under normal circumstances. But all Popeye had to do was turn to his secret weapon – spinach!
When Popeye ate a can of spinach, he suddenly attained superhuman strength.
That was an example of how God worked in the Old Testament. When he needed a jolt of strength, Popeye ate a can of spinach, which resulted in temporary power that would soon fade. Similarly, before Pentecost, the Spirit often came on a king or judge in his time of need, empowering him to accomplish a specific task. But when the task was completed, the Spirit would leave him.
Jesus came to change all that. He said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may be with you” (John 14:16).
Recovery Step: The next time you are tempted to think you are powerless over your addiction, remember that Jesus has provided a “spinach” that he will never take away.
