INTRODUCTION

We are promised that the word of God works effectually in those that believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
See All...). Yet, the Devil works hard to choke out the fruitfulness of the word. In order to achieve his ultimate objective, the Devil uses any means within his arsenal. Pleasure-seeking serves as one of his choicest weapons. In order to convince people that they do not need the Lord or His word, the Devil convinces people that they have everything they could possibly ever want or need without Him. The Devil convinces them that they are happy or satisfied and there is nothing better than their lot in life. He keeps them preoccupied so that they do not take time to reflect and recognize that they are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
See All...) apart from the Lord.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): God warned His people when things were going well not to forget Him (Deuteronomy 8:11-14 [11] Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: [12] Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; [13] And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; [14] Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
  See All...; Proverbs 30:8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
  See All...b-9a). Yet, their happiness and self-satisfaction caused them to become blind to their disobedience toward the Lord (Hosea 13:6-8 [6] According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. [7] Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: [8] I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
  See All...; Amos 6:1-7 [1] Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! [2] Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? [3] Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; [4] That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; [5] That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; [6] That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. [7] Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.
  See All...).
• (For everyone): How has the desire for pleasure personally choked out the fruitfulness of the word in your life? What are you willing to do to insure that this attack on the word stops?
• Does pleasure ever keep you from reading, studying, memorizing, or hearing the word of God? How has this harmed you spiritually?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask the Lord to get you to a place where His word can work in your heart.
• Ask God to show you when the pleasures of this life have taken precedence.

HYMN

THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MY HEART

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