Life Group Devotions - January 19, 2022

A life of worldly pleasure brings ruin on men.

(Matthew Henry Concise)

He who loves pleasure will be a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

a. He who loves pleasure will be a poor man: To find success and prosperity, there must be a measure of discipline and self-denial. The person who loves pleasure lacks this discipline and self-denial and often ends up a poor man.

b. He who loves wine and oil will not be rich: In this proverb wine and oil represent the luxuries of life. There is an appropriate way to enjoy wine and oil without setting one’s heart on them; but if these are loved beyond proper measure, it is a pathway to poverty (will not be rich).

i. “The ‘love’ that is here portrayed must be excessive or uncontrolled, because it brings one to poverty. Perhaps other responsibilities are being neglected or the people are trying to live above their means.” (Ross)

Observation - it is not just the chasing after these or whatever is that you long for, it is the sole desire and focus that leads to poverty.

When all I could think of - riches, drugs, sex, etc. the more I worked ‘hard’ for the money the less time I had for the things that did matter - my family, friends, fun, personal growth, as my time was occupied by activities that took me away from them. The more you want the less you actually enjoy of what you have.

When that becomes an obsession and your heart is only motivated by more, the excesses of life, with your heart turned away from the Lord, you really become empty. To have so much and yet have gained so very little in the end.

Application - who owns our/your heart; what do I/we truly desire; why do I treasure these? These and other questions that I stop and ask myself routinely to get a temperature of where I am at spiritually. How connected am I to what God is asking of me, teaching me, allowing me to grown from the experiences? Am I doing this or that out of selfish motives, or is my motives directly tied into what He is asking of me.

I have a firmer grasp of this as I have had more time to reflect upon my thoughts, wants, desires, and the actions that take place because of them. Where it was a challenge in the past, and it does creep in from time to time, I can at least now work through them without feeling as if I ‘lost out’ on whatever it is I had my heart set on.

Prayer - Father God, I thank you for helping me see that my desires of my heart were nothing more than things; things that can and have come and gone. May my longing be for you and you alone Lord. Jesus, please take hold of and remove all the areas in my thought life that is not in alignment, strengthen the areas that are doing well I would stand steadfast, enlighten the areas that will allow me to grow more. All the glory, honor, and praise to you. In Jesus’ name, amen!