If you are looking for a great book to read go get
Save me From Myself; How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs And Lived To Tell My Story:
by Brian “head” Welch, former member of the band Korn
I picked this up in Barnes and Noble a couple years ago to flip through while I had a cup of coffee. I didn't leave until I had finished the whole book. The lesson I took from this book has stayed with me and I wanted to take a minute to share it. If you aren't familiar with the band Korn, they are a pretty scary bunch...tattooed from head to toe, addicted to all kinds of drugs, hard rock band with parental advisory stickers on every album. And Brian Welch was their lead guitarist.
In his book, Welch opens up about his addiction to crystal meth and how God rescued him. But the part of the story that struck me was this...
He got an email from a friend that basically said "Man, I know your gonna think this is wierd and I feel kindof uncomfortable doing it, but I really feel like God is telling me to share this verse with you". The verse was Matthew 11:28 "
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." He was drawn to the verse because of the part about rest. He had struggled with drugs and shame from the addiction. He had wanted to stop for his 5 year old daughter and felt guilty about dragging her into the darkness of his life. He had thought over and over about leaving the band and getting out and away from it all. But life went on and so did the drugs and partying and all the things that go along with a rockers life on the road. Well some time later his friend invited him to church which he thought was kindof funny. no one ever invited him to church. He said no. Then a few days later a lady that lived near him came over and invited him to church. He said no but thought how strange it was that it had happened again. Then his friend that had sent him the verse called him up and invited him to church. This time he was really freaked out. He said he felt like God was after him, stalking him down. He couldn't say no. He had to figure out what was going on. So he went and the pastor that morning got up and said God had told him to preach on Matthew 11:28. Welch broke down. He was so amazed. He knew God was calling him to lay down all these burdens he was carrying and come find rest in Him.
What so amazing to me about this whole story is the lady from his neighborhood. God told her to go invite him to church. That couldn't have been an easy thing to do. I mean look at him. He is intimidating and scary and everyone knew his reputation. But she was obedient and she did it. She had to be thinking "What, God?? him??". When he turned her down and she walked back to her house she must have thinking she had missed something or that maybe God hadn't spoken to her. The thing is, God never meant for Welch to go to church with her. That's not why he told her to ask him. God knew that he needed to feel pursued. The first two people had to ask him in order for him to say yes to the third...the one that really mattered. Their obedience was hugely important even though they never saw God's purpose or reward in the whole thing (until they read the book, I'm sure). Our obedience is important every single time. God never ask us to do something for no reason and we won't necessarily see what He is up to. Which is why He tells us not to rely on our our understanding but to trust Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understading. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."
