OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SUNDAY 25 MAY 2014 - "LUST: ENEMY OF GREATNESS" BY PASTOR E. ADEBOYE
MEMORY VERSE: 3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
READ: 1 JOHN 2:15-17
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
MESSAGE
God’s desire for His children is greatness and good success. Greatness denotes being above in all areas. His desire is for all His children to prosper spiritually, mentally, materially, psychologically, financially and health-wise. You should however know that greatness has enemies. It is better not to acquire wealth than to be a formerly rich person. It is better not to win than to be an ex-champion. As Christians, we should be focused and not allow ourselves to be destroyed by the world. We are enjoined in 1 John 2:15 not to love the world.
The greatest enemy of greatness is lust. The most devastating of these lusts is the lust of the flesh. In Genesis 34:1-26, Shechem lost his life and the lives of all the men in his entire tribe to the lust of the flesh. He ravished Dinah and was destroyed by the sons of Jacob. Samson was a judge in Israel, gifted with supernatural physical strength. He however lost his strength, eyes and eventually, his life to the lust of the flesh. The second greatest enemy of greatness is the lust of the eyes. Many people have been motivated to go into sin by what their eyes saw. Looking at how man fell in the Garden of Eden, the eye can be described as a primary channel through which sin creeps in. It was through the eyes of Eve that the sin of disobedience crept into her life. The Bible in Genesis 3:6a says,
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes...”
Is the eye then evil? The answer is No! In Matthew 6:22-23, the scripture reveals that the light of the body is the eye. The eye is very good. For our body to be full of light, our eyes have to be focused on God. By implication, we should not lose sight of our first love. Your first love is your desire for God at the time you gave your life to Christ.
After giving your life to Christ, there is the tendency that as you continue in the Christian race, other desires come in which may cause you to deviate from this first love. Such desires include desire for position, benefits and privileges. What type of eyes do you have for God in the ministry? Are your eyes covetous, wicked or self-centred? All these are not of God.
Many people with covetous eyes want to start life big and they end up destroying themselves. Stealing is an action of a covetous eye. Adultery is also an action of the covetous eyes. Another evil resulting from the covetous eyes is the desire for goods and properties of others. Gehazi was destroyed by this. Beware of lust. Make God your number one desire.
ACTION POINT:
Beware of lust. Examine your life and repent of all actions motivated by lust in your life.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 4-1:6:13 and PSALM 109:21-31
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