You may not be familiar with poet Emma Lazarus. And you may not recognize the title of her most famous work, The New Colossus. But if you are from America, you will be very familiar with the following words from that poem.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
These words are found on the base of the Statue of Liberty. And they remind us of the heart of God. Jesus knew what it was to be homeless and poor. The prophet described him as a “man of suffering” (Isaiah 53:3).
If you long for freedom, know this – God is for you. He invites you to cross the ocean of your addiction to the freedom that awaits on the distant shore.
Recovery Step: Freedom can be yours, if you really want it. The God who lifts his lamp beside the golden door awaits you with open arms.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
