The enemies of God promise us great pleasure and satisfaction in playing in darkness. We are often deluded into the belief that we will gain satisfaction by delving into attitudes and behaviors that violate God’s Word. While there is pleasure in sin for a season—it never lasts. It’s like being deluded into drinking salt water when you’re dying of thirst. You’re always more thirsty than before you drank it.
My friend, we cannot EVER satiate the desires of our soul with the works of the flesh.
Yet we fall into the delusion over and over again…
Even as born again Christians, we may find ourselves addicted to habits we know are sinful. Or we may be addicted to simply being spiritually lazy. At the end of the day it’s easier to feed my flesh by watching mindless TV when I’m tired, than it is to feed my spirit. Or it’s “more fun” to go hiking than it is to work on a devotional. But God knows our deepest desires. And HE knows how to satisfy us.
But what began with Adam and Eve is the pervasive view of our culture. We think the grass is greener on the other side of God’s fence. We have believed the enemies’ lies about Who God is—for so long—we think we will find joy living in opposition to His Word. Why is this? Well, to a large extent it’s because we have the wrong view of God.
God’s enemies have given Him such a bad name that even His children don’t believe He is the greatest source of joy!
We often quote the following verse, and as we do, we believe that God’s plan to prosper us falls in line with what cultural prosperity looks like instead of the REAL prosperity God has planned for us.
“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
But we must come face to face with the fact that God is light and there is NO darkness in Him, or in His ways.
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” 1 John 1:5-6
The Bible promises us that every good gift and every perfect gift is from God—not from sin.
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:14-17
The only reason we choose darkness instead of light when trying to find joy is because we have been deceived about who God is. After we are born again, we have an amazing gift; that is, the opportunity to know God. We must seek to have the mind of Christ and the attitudes of Christ. God gave His only Son for us so we CAN trust HIS love.
God loves us better than we love ourselves or our own children.
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew 7:11
Pursue God; give Him 100% of your heart; make Him your greatest passion; and entrust to Him every desire of your heart. He has greater joy planned for you than you can imagine!
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory…” 1 Peter 1:6-8
