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The Thorny Heart (Part 4)
DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS
The third component of a thorny heart is the cravings and passionate desires for other things.
From Cambridge dictionary craving means a strong or uncontrollable desire. It also means an intense, urgent or abnormal desire or longing for something. The Lord here is talking about multiple cravings
Passionate Desires talks of capable of revealing or characterized by intense emotion.
This means that this type of heart has a strong, uncontrollable, abnormal and intense emotional desire for many things. These become the practical god of this believer and he is not different from a worshipper of Idols.
Receiving the word and promises of God into
this heart is a squandering of divine resources.
It does not matter what these cravings and passionate desires are. It only matters that this believer is not satisfied with whatever God gives him.
He has ignored the biblical counsel in (1Timo. 6:6) “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth” (nlt).
Cravings also represent idols in the heart which are thorns in the heart if allowed to endure. Covetousness is idolatry.
Hear the word of God in Col.3:5-6 “so put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual, immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolator, worshipping the things of this world. Because of these sins the anger of God is coming” (nlt). All these things swarm and clutter the heart. In fact these include much more depending on individuals. Some crave or covet talents, success, popularity, position, jobs, promotion and even what belongs to others. All these are idols or gods of the heart that render believers unfruitful.
Some even destroy themselves with them.
Let’s examine a few witnesses. First the Elders of Israel in (Ezekiel 14:3-5). In this scripture the elders of Israel sat before Prophet Ezekiel and God spoke to the prophet, “ Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests? Tell them... The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So, I the Lord will give them the answer their great idolatry deserves. I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols”(nlt)
Friends, “believers today probably would not love physical idols-images, But anything that replaces God in affection ( or our priority) and our obedience is certainly an idol. It might be wealth as in the care of Achan (Joshua 7:16-26), Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5)…
And the “young rich ruler” (Matt 19:16-26). Jonah’s idol was a selfish patriotism that made him turn his back on the gentiles who needed to hear his message. Pilate’s idol was holding the approval of the people and his status in the Roman empire (Mark 15:15, John 19:12-16.) What we have in our hearts affects what we see and how we live. If Christ is our Lord (1 Peter 3:15), then we will have no place for idols”
(Comments page 1364- The Transformation study Bible (nlt).
Let us also look at the case of king Ahab’s consuming covetousness which drove him to murder Naboth in (1Kings 21:1-14). Ahab summoned Naboth with a request to buy his inheritance, a vineyard to grow a vegetable garden. Naboth refused. This made Ahab angry and sullen. Ahab was so miserable that he refused to eat. The end of it is that Jezebel, his wife, organized and had Naboth assassinated with the announcement, “you can have Naboth’s vineyard”. He’s dead! Gladly he went to take over the vineyard only to encounter prophet Elijah with the word “ You have sold yourself to what is evil in the Lord’s sight” So now the Lord says” I will bring disaster on you and consume you” (nlt). This is what idol in the heart can do.
Cravings and delight in other things can hinder the fulfillment of the promise of God in the life of any believer.
Unfortunately these cravings and delights in things could be for things that are legitimate or good for us. But many legitimate and good things may look harmless at the beginning but if allowed to occupy our thoughts and negatively influence our priorities to things of God the good in them fades and they become a barrier between us and God!.
Furthermore where the object of our craving and passion is about to consume us, we yearn for it, hope for it, pray for it but when we get it we soon put it aside. It fails to satisfy and the object of our own craving and passion becomes something else which we again pursue passionately and we lose the rest available in God. We cannot be fruitful until we return our affection toward God, clear the thorns and acknowledge that He is the portion of our inheritance.
“O Lord, you are the portion of my inheritance and my cup. You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, yes I have a good inheritance. His presence provides all the joy, peace and satisfaction we need.
You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of oy. At your right hand are pleasures forever more “(Ps 16:15,6,11 nkjv).
And remember the Lord’s injunction to all believers “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you “ (Matt 6:33) What does this mean friends? Jesus is telling us about the sovereignty of God an His ruler ship over all creation.
From Mathew 5 He tells us about the culture, values and principles of His kingdoms as well as His righteousness.
He warns us against worries, anxieties, cravings for material things and daily provisions. Then He tells us seek to expand the kingdom of God and multiply His glory which is the mandate He restored to believers as His primary mission on earth.
The kingdom is within us as we do this and all we need which He already knows will flow to us.
Friends this is it.