In today’s devotion, The First Desperate Housewife, we discover that Potiphar’s wife has a problem with lust.
She’s not alone.
There isn’t a single person alive today who doesn’t struggle with lust in some form or fashion. Our lust may or may not be connected with pornography or the desire for someone else’s spouse. It may be that we lust after a beautiful house or designer clothes. Perhaps it’s titles and fame that we crave. Whatever it is, lust comes from a longing; a desire; a need—that acts like a vacuum. At the center of our heart is a sucking drain—like at the bottom of a swimming pool. We are endlessly thirsty. But we can’t suck water and air at the same time. Believe me. I’ve tried in a swimming pool, lake, ocean and bathtub. A person simply cannot suck water and air at the same time. It’s impossible. But somehow I keep trying…
Recently, I tried drinking from a water bottle, breathe, and walk on the treadmill all at the same time. It ended in embarrassment and a coughing fit that seemed to last forever! While I was turning blue from trying to clear water from my lungs, an older woman quickly identified herself as a retired nurse. She informed me she was able to help if I so needed. I manage to thank the woman between coughing spells and assure her I would eventually be fine.
What was really going through my mind was this:
You might be a redneck if… the only way you get through your workout is by receiving mouth to mouth from someone 20 years your senior.
Back to my point—which is this; When you and I fall in love with the world, lust has taken over our hearts and choked out our love for God. Just as we can’t suck in water and air at the same time, we can’t love with world and God simultaneously either. It reminds me of these verses found in 1 John 2:15-16.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Not only can we not love God and the world at the same time, but all that our flesh, eyes, and pride lusts after will eventually pass away along with this world. But God and His love remains forever.
If your love for God has grown cold due to lust of this world, you can rekindle your passion. The same Christ who once brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light, can take away the long dark night of your soul. So yield yourself to the Holy Spirit. Immerse yourself in the Word of God. Cry out to Christ for a new vision of the glory of his grace. Don’t be content with lukewarmness. Pursue a new passion for Christ. I’m praying for you. Will you pray for me, too?
Also, I’m offering a free copy of my talk, “Cultivating a Heart of Contentment, on CD. To enter to win, simply leave a comment.
Micca ~ I adore you. You are both poignant and hysterical! Thank you for both.
Great devo and post. Here is a verse we apply as far TV watching etc.:
Psalm 101:2-3
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes…
I heart you Micca! I will be thinking and laughing throughout the day!
Hugs,
Sharon
That is awesome, I would love to adopt that verse for my house too, thanks so much for sharing…..
Blessings~
Jodi
I also watched soap opera’s for a major portion of my life. I would dream about it! Then I met Jesus and the first year of our relationship he revealed to me that it is “Him” I should be obsessing over and dreaming.
I don’t miss it (soap operas and fantasy) a bit! However, the damage was done and I finally committed to be married – I had no idea what real life was about. Then I really learned to depend on the LORD, talk about considering it pure joy for my trials.
I love Hebrew 13:5 which says “Be content with what you have, because God has said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Blessings to you!
Thank you for sharing your wit and wisdom!
God has been drawing me into the book of Micah these past few weeks and when I got my Proverbs 31 email this morning it spoke to me as I struggle lately with not wanting to be (become) a wayward wife. It wasn’t until I got to the end of the devotional and paid attention to your name that I got that familiar ‘this is the path’ feeling I get when being led by the Spirit. I can’t wait to read more about you and what you have written in regaurds to what God wants me to learn… thank you already for being a light in my dark..
I think I definitely need to cultivate a heart of contentment. I would love to win your cd. I also liked your devotion.
I enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing. I hope I win this book. May God continue to bless u to write to inspire others.
Joyce
Very inspiring message.
Thank you for your words in todays devotion and blog. Lust can quickly capture us before we even realize we’ve been caught up in it. I have a friend who is in such a situation now. Please join me in praying for her and the familes involved. At this point in my life my lusting tends to lean more for “things” as you mentioned in your writing. Im so thankful for a friend I have who keeps me accountable for this. I have enjoyed your devotions and would like to her you speak. Now your give a way of the CD just might be my chance to hear you. Thanks for the chance to win it.
Have a great day, Grammy
Hi Micca! I “found” you through the Pr31 devo today. Those are some really godly, right-on-target thoughts! Thank you for speaking the truth in love. I think we as women need to be super careful what we allow to linger in our minds! It’s so easy to think that just b/c we don’t act on something it’s OK. Big lie and very dangerous!
God has been really prompting me to ask Him to rekindle His Living Flame of Love in my heart, so that it can burn away the chaff and purify my heart, allowing more of Him and His perfect Love. Thank you, again, for being God’s trustworthy messenger. I pray He will continue to guide you to the good work He has for you to do as you seek after Him!
I am on the journey of trying to lose weight, so my lust is after a thinner body. My heart and sould have not yet managed to apply the principles my head knows. Thank you for your ministry. Us God chicks need to stick together.
Beth
Thank you for the encouragement today! I really had wondered about how to stop lustful thoughts and your words about those thoughts were a big help. I really enjoy your words!!!
Thanks,
Malana
Oh man. I think I lust for the former life God gave me. Now he’s taken me up the steps to a harder place and I sure don’t feel like I do it very well. Right now, we have three older kids – 21, 18 & 16 and an 8-year old daughter we adopted six years ago. We’ve learned that her years of neglect in the orphanage caused brain trauma that we now live out every day. I need prayer to respond to her in the power of the Holy Spirit. When she scowls at me and calls me a horrible beast, I need to pull her into my arms and hold her tight. When I do that, she fights for awhile and then melts. That’s God’s love to her. Most of the time, I can only walk away, hurt by her words and leaving her feeling more alone. Some of the time, I snap back at her causing the whole situation to escalate. That is definitely my flesh responding and it’s bad. It’s a long, hard journey and I need prayer to be the mom she needs me to be. Thank you.
would be blessed by your book…my husband has just recently told me he believes he is a woman??? He has always had a very serious problem with porn and he wants to start dressing and changing his looks to be more feminine…God has assured me that all will be well and i have His Peace…PLEASE PRAY…ty and Gods peace
Thanks, Micca, for the reminder that we can’t love both God and the world. I struggle with “wanting” alot – a new house, new anything. Please pray for me to get back in line with God…and love him more and more. God Bless!
Great read! I love what you said about life not being like the movies. I think as females, we do get caught up in the romantic movies and books and believe that’s the way it is, then when reality hits, some of us are dissapointed. I have a friend whose daughter recently married, and after the wedding night, she said “that’s what all the fuss was about”!! That’s why having a relationship rooted in a godly union is so important, so we can withstand all the different seasons of marriage without sinning against God and our husbands. I would love to receive a copy of this cd. I have a 15 year old daughter, and she is really struggling lately with having a content heart. She always tends to look at the negative side of things. I would love to share this word with her!
Thank you for your ministry. Struggling will always be made lighter when we stay immersed in God’s word in order to bring a Godly understanding in our desires that may be sinful. Praying for guidance and trust in the Lord.
How easy it is to lust after what others have. Love the devotional and the blog today. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement. ~Blessings~
Micca,
I have a prayer request. I am a 55 year old lady who just recently graduated from nursing school (June) and passed my state boards (August); however I cannot seem to land a job as an R.N. Please pray that I will be able to get a job soon where God would have me to serve Him to my fullest. I would love to receive the CD and/or book. Thank you and blessings to you as you serve Him through your ministry of writing.
I find that often the difficulty is to keep a thought from rooting when it enters your mind. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway!
This is such a good word. It is so easy to fall into the trap of “just thinking about it” which leads to additional thoughts and feelings. Thanks for the timely reminder that we must always be on guard.
Micca, I struggle with a content spirit daily. I have this problem in all areas of my life, including financially, emotionally, spiritually. I have to consciously speak truth to myself and be thankful for God and his goodness, in order to step away from these thoughts and feelings that haunt me daily. I so much wish I wasn’t like this and get angry with myself at times. I even have a saying that states, ” the grass is only greener on the other side because there is manure over there! ” Please pray that I would be able to overcome these thoughts and feelings. So much chaos has occurred in our household due to discontentment.
Thank you for your ministry. Proverbs 31 has helped me to keep my focus on the Lord and I am so thankful that I get these daily devotions to keep me on that path .
God bless you as you strengthen others in Christ!
Carol Hahn
Thank you for your message today. It reminded me that I must keep my mind focused on the good that is my heavenly Father and what he has in store for me. He challenges me daily to be content in all things including the challenge of a non-believer husband. I just recently “connected” to the Proverbs 31 ministry and am LOVING it! Thank you. God has been a powerful force in my life.
Micca,
Thanks so much for your devotional today. It is such a good remainder to keep our thoughts captive and how easy it is to fall into the trap of the world. I know because I have been there and am so thankful to my God who saved me from making a big mistake in my life and marriage. We all need to be reminded of your words of wisdom today..Thank you!
Thank you for helping me start off my day laughing-( sorry at your expense!) your “redneck” comment tickled me. Now maybe I can make you laugh–I lust over other peoples nice cars!!! Kind of silly huh!!!! Hope you have a very blessed day!!!! Barb Wall
You’re so right about this, Micca. Thanks for encouraging me to seek God (and not the ways of the world) today! I’ll be praying for you.
Thanks so much for your devo today. It is so easy to follow the culture instead of the Bible. We think we haven’t stepped over the line so everything is ok – it’s not! Thank you again for your words of insight and truth.
thanks Micca for this wonderful piece….i pray God gives us the grace and strength to seek him more….may our good Lord continue to bless you and your ministry in Jesus name, Amen….i’d be praying for you too….
Thank you for the encouragement. I struggle with being the lukewarm Christian Jesus us warns against becoming.
“The same Christ who once brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light, can take away the long dark night of your soul. So yield yourself to the Holy Spirit. Immerse yourself in the Word of God. Cry out to Christ for a new vision of the glory of his grace.” These words really stood out to me. I don’t know about my lust for the world at this time (sure it is there yet the least of my worries), but I do know that I am struggling with a “long dark night.” Feelings of rejection, confusion, sadness and despair only begin to sum up where I am right now. If it weren’t for a two friends and their willingness to speak grace to me, I am not sure where I would be. I am thankful God gives us others at times to tangibly demonstrate His love.
Thank you, Micah for your inspiring words!
This has been a struggle for me lately. I see all my friends going on wonderful trips, buying new, trendy cloths, and I cannot do so. It does leaving you longing for worldly things. Thank you for the reminder this morning!
Thank you so much for this post. I really took it to heart.
I love romance stories, and I miss that part of the relationship. I often like to picture myself in being in that type of situation again before I go to bed. I never thought it as harmful because I knew that I was just making up my own story and I would never dream of acting upon it. I’ve heard these verses before, but I’ve put them behind me and have long forgotten them. I would love to earn your CD so I can be reminded when I fall into this trap again. Pray for me please.
I hadn’t thought of life in these terms before – I was divorced last year, and since then have been trying to drink from the world to satisfy my longings – my longing to be held, to be loved, to be adored – and really, the only One who can satisy that longing is God… I need to keep my head in The Word and my eyes on Jesus!
Thank you for this devotion Micca. We have been struggling to make ends meet the last couple of years and I find myself wishing that I had what some other folks have. I have to stop and remind myself that I am blessed beyond measure.
Blessings,
Janet
gatorgirl66@hotmail.com
Thank you for your inspiration. It doesn’t matter how old we get; we still struggle. Your blog is a blessing to me.
Thank you for your devotional today on P31. It really hit home for me. I like tv ‘hunks’ and get all fan-girlie with them… and I really didn’t think it was a bad thing! But this put it all into perspective. Thank you. God bless you.
In Jesus, Through Mary,
Heather
AWESOME WORD!!! Thank you for sharing!!! This gets my days going 🙂
Micca, Thank you for the devotion today. God has laid this exact thing on my heart and He has been speaking to me about being content with what I have and not lusting for what was in the past. How easily we can convince ourselves that “we” know what’s best in our lives and not God’s Way!! Thank you for sharing this and I thank God for using your devotion to remind me. Praying for you as well.
Thank you for your wonderful message!
Thank you for sharing your heart and allowing yourself to be used of God by speaking his truth. My prayer is more of you and less of me Lord. True contentment really does not lie in eartly things, only in God do we find true contentment.We have to keep our minds on the things of God by saturating ourselves in him and in his word. Easier said than done!
Thank you Micca for the encouraging words and biblical reminders. I have been married for almost two years, and they haven’t been as blissful as every bride dreams of. With a husband that struggles with pornography and travels 4-5 days out of the week I am often alone. I have some medical conditions I am recovering from so I need plenty of rest and naps. I look on lustfully at other newlyweds who are so happy. I have a hard time loving my husband appropriately, and without anger, when I suspect he is up to his ways. I love my husband so much but sometimes it is difficult to look at others and wonder/wish life was different at times.
Thanks for speaking the truth…I really enjoy these devotionals!
Micca, that is one of my favorite scriptures and one I quote to myself often in my own struggles. Thank you for your wisdom today. Brandee
Micca – wow that was a powerful description of the world’s desires versus God’s desires in our hearts I have been there and felt like that many times in my life I have been trying to suck in air and water at the same time. It is hard and scary… Thank you for being open and honest. God Bless you! Maria
thanks so much for this message! i def. needed to hear that today! the Lord used you to speak to me today! God bless you and your ministry
Thank you for your ability to touch on very real struggles. I appreciate all your wisdom. I have struggled for a long time with thoughts and it’s so frustrating to me when they pop into my mind because I have prayed about this so much. I do, when a thought enters, no matter how small it is immediately commit it to God. I just wish that they would go away all together, but I know God is working something out in me and teaching me to be obedient to recognize such thoughts and depend on Him to change this in me. Thanks again for your devotions!
Just found your blog today and thank you for sharing your heart. My desire is to also glorify God in every area of my life.
Please pray for me Micca. I have, for the first time in my life found myself wanting the ways of the world over what is righteous. I know better, but still want to follow my heart in secret. Please help me find the words to end my lustful behaviour with the love of Jesus. Thankyou for your encouragement in seeking God’s way for me.
I do love your ability to tell a serious message while lifting our hearts with your humor! You’re so right about lust…it’s just there waiting for us in this world behind every corner. And sometimes I have one foot in the world and one foot in the Lord…a divided heart. I know this is not good. Thank you for your honesty and transparency in this. You have convicted us all without condemnation but with truth and hope that we have a real God who we can go to and cry out to and He will answer! Praise Him. Greater is He who is in me/us than he who is in the world.
I also read your story. Wept through it. God does indeed use the hard things to let us know just how real, present, close He is and even despite such tragedy that He loves us and we are always in His care.
And I loved, loved, loved your talk at the She Speaks conference. You really do know what we’re all thinking and name it, so we can’t keep it covered in darkness, but bring it out into the light where God who is light can help us. It is a joy getting to know you. God bless you!!!
Thanks for the powerful message. Indeed we all try to “keep up with the Steins”. We wish we could have a great husband who is romantic – opens the door for us, remembers birthdays and anniversaries, a big beautiful house with a big yard, a car that screams look at me when we are driving on the road and perfectly behaved children and so much more that we lose sight of who we are and what God’s purpose for us is. Lust is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with each and everyday so that we don’t miss out on God’s promises.
God bless you and continue to guide you as you share powerful insights from His word.
I love your posts Micca. They always hit right between the eyes. So that’s what’s going on I always think…Thanks for wisdom for living. hugs
Thank you for your wisdom and the sharing of it. I struggle with finding and keeping contentment in my life and it’s on my daily prayer list. I’m looking forward to learning more of God’s wisdom on this subject through your CD. God Bless you and the work you are doing.
I really could benefit from owning this cd. I am really trying to find contentment in life and have no idea why I lost it in the first place! Praying God will sustain me in thus season of life.
micca, your devotion for today really spoke to my heart. the Holy Spirit had done me great this morning as i was reading your heartfelt, and spiritual insight. i think you are younger than me but i am delighted to be reading such a mature and spiritual insight coming from a younger woman like you. Indeed, this world has full of lust. and oftentimes these lust of the flesh break even the most christian home in the world.
may God fill us women with spiritual strength and wisdom everyday!
our families need us….
I find that when I backslide in reading the Word on a daily basis the ‘world’ can so easily creep into my thoughts and patterns of life. The Holy Spirit nudges me and guides me back into daily devotion to reading Scripture.
Thank you for your encouraging words. I would love to win your boook and look forward to reading it:o). God bless you and may our Almighty God, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continues to use to speak His word that He has placed in your heart to share with many of our sisters (including me) in Christ. Have a blessed day.
Thank you so much for your words! I had just read the blog on Proverbs 31’s website and had been praying and telling God how “I know that I don’t struggle with lust Lord but it doesn’t mean I never will so please keep my eyes and heart only to my husband” when I read your words and realized I DO struggle with lust…not of another man but of dreaming of bigger and better things! Thank you so much for helping me dig deeper on this!
Thank you for your post. I am looking forward to reading your book.
Thank you for sharing this devotional today. I so needed it as I am clinging to God’s promises and I know that what you are saying is so true. The things of the world only bring temporary happiness and God is the only thing that can bring true contentment.
I would love to hear your CD and look forward to reading your book.
God Bless you as you continue to share your insights!
Wow, thank you for this beautiful word, exactly what I needed to hear today!
It’s so easy to get caught up in what the world has to “offer”. And so subtly destructive. Thank you for listening to God’s voice and sharing from your heart.
What a beautiful devotion ….. Thanks for sharing the truth. God bless you.
Hi Micca,
This is the first time I’ve been here, I think you are a gifted lady to share such truths with us. Thank you so much, I would LOVE to win your CD. I clean houses every day and like to listen to CD’s or christian radio while I work.
Blessings~
Jodi
I grew up a bit before you — watching Father Knows Best, Leave It To Beaver, etc. I thought that when I got married I would get up, shower, put on my dress and pearls and clean house, even though that’s not what my mother did! From there to soap operas. I held on to everything unrealistic. I was totally unprepared for marriage. It was nothing like I thought. I was a “Christian”, baptized at the age of 14. But none of that mattered as I married and divorced, 9 years later (with 3 children), and married again looking for true love and contentment. It took me many years of heartbreak to realize and learn where my true contentment comes from — it comes from God. I am now going through some hard times parenting my mother, but I know with God’s help I will make it though.
Thank you and bless you for this post. I know where I come from and exactly where I’m going!!!
Thank you for sharing. I needed this so much today. I have been struggling with thinking grass was greener on the other side of the fence with my marriage. I am trying harder than I have ever tried to be content with my life and it is a terrible battle but I am determined to keep fighting to do the right thing in God’s eyes. I want to listen to you CD and read your book. Thanks again!!!!!!
Thank you for this devotional. Today, an experience I had made me feel sad and rejected. After reading your devotional I realized it was because I lust for approval.
Ps..thanks for the laugh too ;-)….the treadmill/cough incident
What a tremendous blessing your blog post is to me. So many times I feel like my heart is a sucking drain that is endless.. I feel discontent, hopeless until I spend time in the Word with my Lord, that is the only cure for the void this life gives. It would be a certain help to “win” your book. Please enter me.
Please pray for me. I am sometimes troubled by a desire for intimacy and I know this is not God’s will for my life as a single, divorced woman. I am torn between my fleshly desires and my spiritual desires. Thank you.
Love That Cannot Coexist