Mark 4:18-19
And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
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The fact that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God {Deut.8:3} is a truth that Jesus would proclaim to defeat the temptation of the devil in the wilderness. {Mat.4:4} We should greatly desire more and more of His life giving Word in our lives. And that truth is exactly the very reason that the enemy wants so badly to choke the word and make us unfruitful!
Food and water along with covering, are the most basic needs in our natural lives; and God's Word has promised to supply them to us, along with everything else that we need. {Php.4:19} Satan is far, far more focused on getting us to desire what we want rather than what we need. He desires for us to love and to want the world and the things of the world because, as John wrote, if we do then we will not have the love of the Father in us. {1Jn.2:15}
That brings the deceitfulness of riches into play. Those riches, or mammon as they are called by Jesus, are so very deceitful that most people believe that those riches will serve them. And all too many of the false prophets that we have been warned against in the last days are feeding that lie with 'prosperity messages' that do not set us free but rather enslave us! The Lord said that to the contrary those riches become a master that people who desire them must serve! {Mat.6:24}
Let me remind you of the fact that the Word of God says that if you delight yourself in the Lord He will give you the desires of your heart. {Ps.37:4} Hallelujah! Of course you also need to know that when you delight yourself in the Lord He becomes the delight and the desire of your heart—and your riches, your silver and gold! {Job 22:25-26}
In the world today we are bombarded constantly with advertising from every direction, all designed and crafted very carefully not to inform, but to create the desire in us to buy, to get, to have that thing (whatsoever that thing is) that will change your life, make you healthier, make you prettier and certainly make you happier than you are! All rooted subtly in a foundation laid by the father of lies, Satan. As an aside, on the day I was saved in the late 1970’S by the amazing grace of God I was at the time president of a small full service advertising agency in New York. I left that behind right away called to proclaim truth! You may want to take a moment and remember that the joy of the Lord is a free gift of God, the fruit of the Holy Spirit. {Gal.5:22}
So, may this become the confession of our mouths that casts away all worry and is the truth that lives ever so securely in our hearts as we cry out to the Lord:
“Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.” (Psalms 73:25)
GOD WATCHES OVER HIS WORD
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