17 He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
I can certainly relate to this verse. Our family was recently on vacation. I always seem to struggle on vacation because for me a vacation is a playground for my flesh and my flesh craves pleasure. And since I'm "on vacation" I can tend to justify a lot of pleasures. And now that I'm back, I need to constantly be reminding myself that "real pleasure" comes from God and is found in God - not in the things of this world.
It's not that God wants me to not experience pleasure in my life but when my pleasures are selfish and are put above God then they become idols that feed my flesh and they drive a wedge between my relationship with God.
What can you relate to from today's reading from Proverbs 21?
Prov.21:2- All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
ReplyDeleteThere is times that I want to do something that seems right to me, (maybe by serving someone) but when I think it all the way though, God shows me my heart, and at times I see that I am doing it for my own self, maybe to feed my pride, or to be the "go to guy" and want to seek praise and glory for it. (Which won't be enough of either) to fully satisfy my flesh.
When I get before God, and check my heart, and make things right in my heart with Him, then I am allowing God to use me for HIS praise, and HIS glory.
And the only praise that I may get is when I see God face to face, and he says, "Well done, good and faithful servant" Which is just fine by me!