section 1
Pretty much all of us have a desire to be well. We want to have fit bodies that are not full of pain. We want to be strong and capable. But there are fewer who are willing to be well. We want it, but not at the opportunity cost it entails: more salad over dessert, more exercise over relaxing, more water over soda, etc. Sure, we want to be sound in body, but not at the loss of other things we want.
It is the same for our spiritual fitness. We are isolated proverbs 18:1 , frustrated ecclesiastes 5:17 , walking in darkness john 3:19-20 and separated from the life of God ephesians 4:18 . We sense that we lack better things proverbs 15:17 , but we also hope that some of our base, easier desires will suffice isaiah 55:2 . So, we cling to those desires, not recognizing that it is those very desires that are keeping us from greater things i peter 2:11 matthew 13:22 philippians 3:8 .
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much frustration, sickness, and anger.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the Word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
notes:
section 2
It is said that what you do not change, you choose. Perhaps this is because, though lesser things are often not intentionally chosen, we still do not intentionally make the effort for something else. So, we are left desiring, but are we so desperately thirsty for greater things that we are willing to overcome lesser desires to gain the greater ones? revelation 21:6-7 isaiah 55:1-3, 6-7 john 7:37 psalm 42:1-2
Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant...
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink."
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
notes:
section 3
We don’t often say to ourselves, "Today, I am going to ruin my soul, life and relationships." But because we have lesser, selfish desires, we make decisions and efforts that Scripture warns us do just that romans 3:10-12, 16 i timothy 6:9 . We cling to these lesser, harmful desires at the very cost of greater things that could be gained ephesians 4:19, 22 jonah 2:8 . We are hamstrung from gaining greater glories by the deliberated indecision to do away with what is hindering us i kings 18:21 ii timothy 2:22 hebrews 12:1 hebrews 10:26-27 .
As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
...ruin and misery mark their ways...
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.
to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires...
And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him."
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
notes:
section 4
In God alone is enjoyment of life and satisfaction is His gift to us ecclesiastes 2:25 ecclesiastes 5:19 , but we allow the idols of our sinful desires colossians 3:5 to consume our lives rather than be healed by our Lord because His healing would actually do away with the lesser, harmful, hindering desires that we do not want to be rid of jeremiah 3:22-4:4 .
Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.
Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.
notes:
"My wayward children," says the LORD, "come back to Me, and I will heal your wayward hearts."
"Yes, we’re coming," the people reply, "for you are the LORD our God. Our worship of idols on the hills and our religious orgies on the mountains are a delusion. Only in the LORD our God will Israel ever find salvation. From childhood we have watched as everything our ancestors worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters— was squandered on a delusion. Let us now lie down in shame and cover ourselves with dishonor, for we and our ancestors have sinned against the LORD our God. From our childhood to this day we have never obeyed Him."
"O Israel," says the LORD, "if you wanted to return to Me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more. Then when you swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise My name."
This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the LORD...
notes:
section 5
Perhaps this is why Jesus asked, "Do you want to be made well?" john 5:4-5 . Jesus came and suffered for us willfully, intentionally overcoming what He Himself did not want to do john 12:27 matthew 26:38-39 to gain something…someone...He wanted more hebrews 12:2 philippians 3:12 . Good News! He wanted you more than He wanted His own comfort i peter 3:18 . He died and rose again to make us righteous romans 4:25 . He came to heal us i peter 2:24 . So, the questions that remain: Are you thirsty enough for greater glories to overcome your desires for lesser things? Do you truly want to be well?
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
Then He said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with Me." And going a little farther He fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."
...looking to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit...
{Jesus} was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.
"He Himself bore our sins" in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by His wounds you have been healed."
notes:
Scripture quotations taken from one or more of the following versions as noted:
ESV = The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
NIV = The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NLT = The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
NASB = NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Used by Permission HCSB ©1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 Holman Bible Publishers. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
NKJV = New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.