Matthew 24:15-22 talks about the last days when wickedness
pervades the entire earth. Nations will be fighting with nations, disease will
be ravishing all of the population, wicked men will be doing absolutely wicked
things, and then the epitome of wickedness will come and bring destruction with
him. Matthew says that when this happens, it will be so horrifying that
everyone will “FLEE” to the mountains. He describes what fleeing looks like in
verses 17-18: everybody drops everything and runs. This is the picture I have
in my mind when I read 2 Timothy 2:22, “FLEE also youthful lusts.” Many
well-intended self-proclaimed “heart doctors” will give you seemingly caring
advice like “just follow your heart,” or “do what seems right to you,” “don’t
let anyone tell you what to do, listen to yourself.” There is only one problem,
and it is a big PROBLEM: the Bible completely disagrees with this philosophy.
Jeremiah, the prophet (not a love doctor) spoke from the mouth of God when he
wrote in Jer. 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all and desperately wicked:
who can know it?” Listening to the deceitful lusts and desires of your own
heart, actually doesn’t seem like good advice but instead seems like possibly
the worst advice you could ever get. Instead of “following the youthful lusts
of your heart,” that will certainly bring trouble and heartache, you should
instead “follow righteousness, faith, charity(love), peace, with them that call
on the Lord out of a pure heart.” You should seek those who follow after God,
and who live according to His desires, and follow the righteousness, faith,
love and peace that they live in. Run for your life from the deceitful,
damaging lusts of your own heart, and instead chase after the pure and perfect
desires and designs the all-wise God has written in His Word.
Food for Thought:
What does God tell us to do in regard to our flesh-designed and world-fed lusts
and desires? What does this word mean?
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