Mark 4:19

THE INWARD LIFE OF A STEWARD
Viewing and Handling Possessions

The deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word.

Jesus warns us about the dangers of material possessions. In His parable of the soils He tells about the thorny soil where the seed spouted, but then died. He explains why in Mark 4:19, The deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word (NASB). Jesus tells us three important facts about material things. First, they are deceitful. They lie and don’t deliver what they promise. Second, our desire for things can become so great that it can exceed our desire for God. And third, material things have the power to choke the Word of God out of us. They are that deadly. We must be ever-mindful that material things are full of three dangerous “Ds” – deceitfulness, desires, and death. Be careful. Don’t get caught in their trap. Think about it.