Micah 2:7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? 8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. 9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. 10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
It’s hard to get comfort levels right in the spring. In January it’s cold and you just turn up the thermostat and get warm and cozy. In June it’s hot so you turn on the air and you get comfortable. In spring some are warm; some are not. In the old days we used to just bear the heat. Now we have perfect climate control.
What is your spiritual comfort level? We get too comfortable where we are, too comfortable with society, too tolerant and accepting of what’s going on. That’s what society wants us to do. Just as Jesus was being tried Peter warmed himself by the fire. Instead of being with his Master as John was he joined the crowd. He got comfortable following afar off. Don’t do that. You’ll get comfortable with the devil. Peter broke when the people started suggesting he was one of Jesus’ followers. His voice gave him away. Peter kept denying his Lord and lost his false comfort.
God reminds Israel of something here. Look at verse 7. O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? They were the house of Israel. They told others they belonged to God yet their posture didn’t match it. We have a posture. God wants us straight up. Israel had bent. We can’t help the condition of our spine. I was straighter and taller when I was younger. We should all stand tall for the Lord. We tend to measure our closeness to God by society or other churches. We won’t be judged by others. God will be our judge. The posture of God hasn’t changed. We are to lay aside what besets us. To run this race we must lay aside what keeps us from walking straight. You’ve got to do it! We’ve got to straighten our soul out with the Lord.
Too many live in “gray” areas. To the world that’s the way it is. Everything is gray. The Bible is clear. What is sin is still sin. What is right is still right. Who is God is still God. God help us not to get comfortable. Don’t get mad at God. You can question him as long as it’s not from a bitter heart or out of anger. Remember he owes us no explanation for anything. What if God gave us the same excuses we give him? Never be satisfied. The only one who can show me where I am is me and God. I have to be honest and open before him. No one else should have to tell us we’re slipping. It takes me 24/7 to keep myself straight. You’ve got to keep yourself straight with God.
A lot goes into the comfort level in our body. A lot of things affect it such as age and medication. The spiritual comfort level is much more important. It’s the same for us all. The Bible is the thermostat. We have to keep standing. When driving we don’t get where we’re going by falling asleep at the wheel. You can’t rest standing up. We have to come up to God’s comfort level, not ours. Israel wanted a different thermostat in keeping with their corrupt ways. They didn’t want to worry about God. HE–GOD–has set the comfort level. It’s for you and me. He knows what brings true rest, comfort and safety. In a world full of unrest and chaos the Good Shepherd comforts us with his rod and staff. I’d rather be there than anywhere.
Let’s quit messing with God’s thermostat. Where is rest? It won’t be with blending in. It’s in a person. Jesus said ‘come unto me and I will give you rest.’ Our comfort level–well, we know where it is. We need it raised to God’s level. We’ll do more for God and be able to exist in this lost and dying world. How about your thermostat setting?
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 