Deceptive

This past Sunday, we had our family over for shish kababs on the grill.  My wife was busy cleaning and straightening up around the house.  And because she was busy, I was busy.  She wistfully remarked, “I wish I had some cut flowers for the table.”  That was my hint to go to the store and get some flowers.  But I am too cheap.  So, I said, “Honey, I’ll get some wildflowers for you!  They’ll be beautiful!”  And she fell for it!  But then my savings in money cost me time driving around the neighborhood looking for flowers.  I was on the four-lane parkway and saw a beautiful splash of yellow color on the other side.  So, at the next light, I made a U-turn, came back, and pulled the truck over.  But I was disappointed.  It was Goldenrod, commonly called Ragweed.  It was beautiful to look at but came with allergy-laden pollen.  Not a good choice for the dining room table!  A little further down, I found some Black-Eyed Susans.  It took me much longer to gather them because it took so many to fill my mason jar.  But on the table, they looked beautiful!  Hey, the good Lord spoke about the dangers of the attractiveness of this world.  The pull of materialism is like the beauty of Goldenrod: it is deceptive!  Jesus said in Mark 4:18&19, “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”  Hey, the world is alluring, but like ragweed, it is deceptive.  Its attractiveness will lead to danger.  Don’t fall for the world’s dainties.  Choose carefully.  You’ll be glad that you did.