06/05/2026
5 years ago today we got to meet the man himself, Joe Nester Nation! Joe may be gone, but his music is still out here carrying a message and helping the lost find their way.
I'll admit, Joe's death was a stumbling block for my faith, and put a huge question mark in my mind towards the recovery world.
Joe was a shining example of an addict who had found Jesus, turned his life around, and created a platform to help others.
When he passed, I lost a lot of hope and trust in recovery and God.
How could drugs take someone who seemed so solid and how could God let that happen?
Of course we know there are no guarantees in this recovery world. All of us live with a mind that holds an extra option. An impulsive solution to life's pain. A chronic urge to throw it all away...
Each of us carry traumas and memories that we navigate daily and we each feel it differently.
How do you weigh someone's pain? How do you measure their grief? Can you tally their burdens? Can you test their tolerance for life?
Joe's burdens were his to bare. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, that day he didn't think he had enough in him to carry it anymore, and he gave in to the urge to lighten the load.
An overdose is a mistake. Simple as that. A misguided decision. An error in judgement. We all make them every day. Luckily, most of ours don't end in death.
(As Im writing this, "How Many Times" just came on. Thanks Joe. ❤️)
But again I ask, How could God let this happen?
A man who praised His name, helped others find their way out of the darkness, had a family, and was prayed for by so many people... How could he be taken out?
When you become a Chirstian, you are not given an easy life. You're not guaranteed safety. Infact, it's quite the opposite.
Look what happened to the disciples, the men who literally followed Jesus.
There is a very real war going on between good and evil in this world.
When you're at war, is the enemy aiming for the normal population? No. They're aiming for the soldiers. Theyre aiming for the one's who have declared allegiance to their country. The one's who follow their leader. They go after the Generals and the one's closest to the leadership.
We Christians have declared our allegiance to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We have aligned ourselves with the good, and made ourselves a target for the evil.
God doesn't "let" things like this happen, any more than a General "lets" his soldiers die in battle.
Joe's death may have caused me to question my faith and recovery but in the end, the questioning strengthened both.
Thank you, Joe. May you rest in peace.
RIP Joe Nester
You will forever be missed.
-Matty Jablonsky