Illustration: Lust, Self-Control

In his Turning Point Daily Devotional for July 16, 2004, David Jeremiah shares the Paul Harvey story about how Eskimos sometimes killed wolves: "A knife with a razor-sharp blade was soaked in blood, then frozen. After repeating these two steps numerous times, the blade was completely concealed by frozen blood. It was stuck in the ground, blade up, waiting for a wolf to catch the scent. A wolf, unable to quench his desire for the blood, would ultimately bleed to death from wounds inflicted by licking the blade.

"That is a perfect example of being consumed by one's own lusts -- the inability to put a stop to something destructive and ultimately fatal. The dictionary describes lust as "an overwhelming desire or craving; an unrestrained sexual craving." Is lust really unrestrained,even unrestrainable? Just ask the wolf -- or any person who has been caught in the grasp of a fleshly desire. Jesus added a new dimension to lust, saying it is just as sinful as its end result. If adultery is the destination, then lust is the journey. Jesus said even to entertain the destination by embarking on the journey is sin. Don't start a trip you might not be able to stop."