by Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Mark 4:18-19
"And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."

The second weed Jesus spoke of in Mark 4 is the deceitfulness of riches. Maybe you're thinking, "Hey, I don't want to be poor. I'd rather take my chances with handling riches and whatever deceit comes with it! Wealth isn't so bad."

I remember the year we held our first Urban Family Conference in Harlem. There was no veneer of wealth in Harlem-just unveiled hopelessness. You could see it and feel it.

But when I arrived home after the Harlem conference, I couldn't help but notice the clean and prosperous suburban neighborhoods of Little Rock. Then it hit me: Many of the people here were just hiding their hopelessness beneath the veneer of their prosperity. In reality they needed the light of Jesus Christ just as much as those people in Harlem.

Wealth is a deceptive weed that takes over our lives and chokes out our responsiveness to God. The following question will help you measure the deceit of wealth in your life: Would you be willing to give up the safety of your job and salary and invest your life in full-time vocational ministry if the Lord called you? If you're not, then you may need to pull some weeds of deception.

Beware of prosperous times-they can be deadly, numbing the heart's response to God's direction for our lives. Materialism may be the number one weed that is choking out spiritual revival and awakening in America.

Prayer:

Regardless of your income, ask God to keep you free from the deceiving clutches of wealth and materialism.

Discuss: In what ways have you seen materialism deceive you or others into believing they do not have a need for God?

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