Grace & Sobriety: Episode 5 – The Stillness of Trust

January 19, 2026 Timothy R. BermanLeave a comment

For Latter-day Saint Christians in recovery, there comes a pivotal moment of our journey where the noise quiets, the striving slows, and the soul needs to decide whether it will trust God in the silence or not. Not because the path is clear, but because He is clear. Trust is not passive – it is the very courageous stillness that allows God to work where our own strength cannot. Consider the profound truth of Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

Stillness is one of the most demanding spiritual disciplines because it requires our willingness to trust God without visible evidence. Recovery sharpens this truth: when the noise fades, when the familiar coping mechanisms fall silent, we discover whether our faith rests in God or in our own frantic activity. Stillness is not passive – it is the very courageous posture of the soul learning to trust the Lord’s timing, voice, and very divine presence.

Welcome fellow travelers to Grace and Sobriety. Today, I want to step into this sacred invitation: to be still before God and allow Him to do the work we cannot. Stillness is where recovery deepens, where identity stabilizes, and where grace becomes more than a doctrine – it becomes the very breath of life for our thriving in recovery and sobriety. For Latter-day Saint Christians walking a covenantal path of healing, forgiveness, and restoration – stillness is not about an escape; it a covenantal path of genuine discipleship.

Anchor Verse

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10 (KJV); Doctrine and Covenants 101:16

Episode 4: The Proving Ground

January 8, 2026January 18, 2026 Timothy R. BermanLeave a comment

Welcome fellow travelers. This is Grace and Sobriety for Latter-day Saints on a path of recovery and living a sober life through Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

Does it ever feel like the moment you decide to get sober or fix your life, everything suddenly gets harder? That resistance isn’t failure—it’s actually proof that you’re on the right path

In this episode, we’re looking at Abraham 3 to discover why God calls this life a ‘proving ground.’ We’re going to learn how to turn that intense pressure into the power you need to break your chains.

I want to share with you today how we’re going to prove that you are one of the ‘noble and great ones.’ Let’s get into it and like, share, and subscribe – following this content and all other content.

Anchor Verse:

“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” — Abraham 3:25

In our previous episodes, we established our nothingness without God (Moses 1), claimed our identity as His children (Moses 1), and found the courage to seek a better way (Abraham 1).

Episode 3: The Courage to Seek

January 8, 2026January 18, 2026 Timothy R. BermanLeave a comment

Access the downloadable study guide here

Welcome fellow travelers. This is Grace and Sobriety for Latter-day Saints on a path of recovery and living a sober life through Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

We often think our battle is just against a behavior, a bottle, or a doubt. But what if the real war is actually over your name? The adversary wants you to believe you are just your past mistakes.

But in this week’s study of Moses 1 and Abraham 3, God takes us back before the beginning to settle the score once and for all. He reminds Moses—and He’s reminding you—that before you were anything else, you were His.

Today, we are going to learn how to use your divine identity to silence the darkness. Welcome to the devotional message.

Anchor Verse:

“And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers… desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace.” — Abraham 1:2

In our previous devotionals, we explored Moses 1: first, the humility of realizing our own “nothingness” without God (Day 1), and second, the power of claiming our divine identity when the adversary tries to define us by our past (Day 2).

Additional Scriptures:

Moses 1:20: “And it came to pass that Moses began to fear exceedingly; and as he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell. Nevertheless, calling upon God, he received strength.” (The pivot from fear to action).
Abraham 1:5: “My fathers, having turned from their righteousness… refused to hearken to my voice.” (The reality that we often have to recover despite our environment).

Today, we transition to Abraham 1, which serves as the perfect companion to Moses’s stand. While Moses illustrates standing your ground against darkness, Abraham illustrates walking away from it. Abraham lived in a toxic environment—Ur of the Chaldees—surrounded by the idolatry of his fathers and a culture of spiritual death. Yet, instead of succumbing to the environment or merely coping with it, Abraham sought something better. He didn’t just want to escape the bad; he hungered for “greater happiness and peace.”