Living by FaithSample

The Pure Pleasures of Jesus

In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, one of the characters, Marcellus says, “something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” alluding to the excess indulgence that had ruined the whole nation. Likewise, the enormous prosperity that the Chaldeans enjoyed due to their army’s ruthless conquests became a gateway to decadence and indulgence. Their society was deeply corrupt as people pursued immoral pleasures by giving themselves over to intoxications, sexual debaucheries and violence. They were libertines who followed their lusts and thereby earned God’s wrath. 

Our modern world with its alcoholism, pornography, and abortion is just as perverse as the Chaldeans. Our society is rotten and deserves God’s judgement. Today there are a million attractions to distract us from God. The world offers us illicit pleasures each new day. Drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and violence pervades our culture and is glorified in magazines, songs, movies, television shows, and the internet. These are empty pleasures, for the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and pride of life are not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (I John 2:16-17).

True, lasting pleasure is found only in Jesus, for He alone can satisfy us. He makes known to us the path of life; in His presence there is fullness of joy. At His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Such pure pleasure is reserved only for those who forsake the world and surrender to Him alone. God has given us a Spirit of power and self-control (II Timothy 1:7) that we may walk unstained in this world. May God turn our eyes from looking at worthless things; and give us life in His ways (Psalm 119:37).