Read Romans 8:1-5 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

You’re standing in front of a refrigerator. You know the last thing you need is that piece of chocolate cake. You took at it and you want it. But you haven’t yielded yet. You take out the cake and put it on the counter; you’re on the edge. You take a knife and cut a big piece and begin to stuff it in your mouth – you’re done. The struggle is over. You’ve yielded.

When we dwell on desire, yielding to it is only a matter of time.

Remember the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness after their miraculous escape from Egypt? Remember the supernatural way God fed, led and cared for their needs? But soon they started to covet what they ate back in Egypt – where they were in bondage and slavery. Numbers 11:4 says, “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us to eat?”"

They “yielded to intense craving” which literally means, they “craved a craving”. They started looking for something else to make them happy. They wanted to want something other than what they had. They said (v.5), “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons.” In the desert, God daily crafted a miracle for them but it wasn’t enough. “Oh, the fish! And the cucumbers!”

We are just like the children of Israel. It is impossible for us to dwell on desire for any length of time without rationalizing a way to get it by making the particular sin more attractive and accessible than it really is. When we dwell on desire, yielding is only a matter of time.

So what’s the big deal? Most of us want things we cannot have. The problem is that at the root of covetousness is a rejection of God’s sufficiency. In effect, we are slapping God’s hand by saying, “What You’re given me isn’t enough, God. Nice try. You promised to be all I need, but You’re just not meeting my expectations.”

What will it take for us to come to that settled place where the central passion of our lives is, “God, I just want You. Your joy, peace, fullness, and friendship – that’s enough for me?”
- James MacDonald -

Responding – Pray each day to guard yourself against coveting things over God’s provision.
Following – Don’t slap away the hand of God’s sufficiency.

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