# 341 - Today's Living Word comes from Mr 4:18 "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 "and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
We've talked about the importance of not allowing the distractions of this world and the mirage of riches and material goods to rob our souls of the nutrients of the life-giving Word of God. Today, let's look at the problem of the “desires for other things.”
At first glance, this appears to be a catch all phrase. We could lump in any and all distractions that don't fall into the first two categories and be done with it. However, the word used for “desires,” changes all that.
The word in the Greek means “concupiscence) Con cupi what? Concupiscence. It means, to lust after that which is forbidden, and is USUALLY used to describe the forbidden fruit of illicit sexual activity.
The desire for ANY and ALL forbidden fruit will choke out the fruitfulness of the Word simply because one becomes preoccupied with how to obtain the forbidden fruit, BUT sexual immorality usually finds itself near the top of God's list of forbidden fruit.
Don't believe me? Take the time to do a word search in the New King James Bible for the phrase “sexual immorality” Notice how often it either heads the list of forbidden activity or is very near the top!
I don't think we stress sexual purity enough in the church today, and quite frankly we have a mess of sexual confusion on our hands because of it. Why do you think there has always been such a pull from the world to draw us into illicit sexual activity? The devil knows the power of sexual lusting and uses it to draw us away from the life giving nutrients of God's Word.
I like the way God's Word puts it in 1 Thess 4:13, “It is God's will that you keep away from sexual sin as a mark of your devotion to Him.” If this is the case, wouldn't it behoove us to view sexual activity from God's perspective, rather than the world's?
Learning to control our sexual impulses and keeping them in the parameters of God's Word, marks us as a people who desire to be devoted to Him, rather than our flesh.
What's wagging your tail these days? Who or what are you devoted too? Is it any manner of impure sexual release, or is it a sincere desire for the pure milk of God's Word? Friend, illicit sexual activity hampers your spiritual growth.
Repent of your sexual sins! Receive the forgiveness of Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter in 1Pe 2:2b, “desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,”
I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word.
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