Doing the Unexpected

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that love does what is unexpected. “But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again” (Luke 6:27-30).

Love does not do what is natural, but rather what is unexpected. It is natural for us to rise up in anger when we are wronged, to want to get even with those who take advantage of us, or to retaliate against those who speak evil of us or insult us. Such responses are natural, but they are wrong. They are wrong because any thought, word, or deed that is not consistent with the character of God is wrong. The Bible calls such behavior sin. We don’t use such words today, but God still does.

Love requires that we act and not react when someone does us wrong in either word or deed. For the child of God, the heavenly Father has freed us from the earthly matters of payback or getting even. Paul writes to the believers in Rome, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17-21).

It is possible that we may not live peaceably with some, but it should never be so because of us. Rather, we should allow God’s wrath to respond, not our own. Consequently, we can do that which is unexpected. We can feed our enemies and give them drink. In other words, we can work to meet their needs. This is how we overcome evil. We leave the matter with God and do the unexpected.

Christ Jesus set the example for us to follow when it comes to leaving such matters to the Father when he suffered for our sins on the cross.  “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (I Peter 2:21-23).

Love does the unexpected. By the grace of God, learn to act and not react. Solomon admonishes us “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly” (Proverbs 14:29). Trust God to deal with wrongdoings and work to overcome evil with good. By faithful practice make the unnatural that which is natural!

Love Ye Your Enemies

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his disciples the necessity of a godly or godlike love. The Jews were familiar with the Old Testament charge “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:17). But Jesus wanted to show that the true expectation of that commandment contemplated all people, even one’s enemies. In fact, the love with which God loves us is most clearly manifest in the love that we show to our enemies.

We will all have enemies in our lifetime, those that are against us for some reason or another. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them which despitefully use you” (Luke 6:27-28). This is a tall order and, but for the grace of God, is beyond our capability. The human heart is full of pride and does not suffer the ill will of others charitably. But doing good, blessing, and praying is the expectation of God. He would have us know that anything short of such behavior is unworthy of Him.

This call to a godlike love is repeated often in Scripture. Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, “Bless those that persecute you, bless, and curse not” (Romans 12:14). He added to this in summary fashion “if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink…be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:20-21). The Apostle Peter commanded his audience likewise “love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing” (I Peter 3:9).

The ability to love our enemies is godlike because it is both like God, and it is of God. First, it is like God because it is exactly how God acted toward us as sinners. The Scriptures teach “God commended [proved or demonstrated] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). All sin is against God. We may think of our sins as merely against one another, but all sin is an affront to a holy God. Thus, while we were actively rebelling against God, Christ died for our sins. Paul’s letter to the Colossians testifies to this. “And you, that were sometime [in the past] alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he [God] reconciled” (Colossians 1:21). We are to love our enemies because God loved us when we were his enemies and sent his Son.

Second, loving our enemies is godlike because it is of God. We cannot love our enemies unless his love reigns in us and is manifested through us. This enabling is the unique privilege of the children of God. Returning to Christ’s teaching in his Sermon on the Mount, he pointed out that those who love their enemies testify to their relationship with the Father. “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36; emphasis added).

Paul’s command to the believers in Ephesus briefly summarizes these considerations. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1).

Conviction, Commitment, and Courage

It takes courage to fight the Lord’s battles. Most are familiar with the record of David’s battle with the giant, Goliath. It took great courage for a young man to face a much larger opponent who was a trained soldier with only a sling and some stones. Yet, he did so, and he won the victory. David’s courage in this matter speaks volumes to each of us. His courage is inspiring, but there is more to it than meets the eye.

David’s courage was rooted firmly in his faith in the Lord’s person, presence, and protection. We would say that he had a conviction pertaining to his knowledge of God. First, he had no doubt that Israel’s God was the true and living God. Consequently, he took offense at Goliath in that “he defied the armies of the living God” (I Samuel 17:36).

His confidence in both the presence and protection of God was born in the fields while keeping his sheep. He testified how “there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth…the LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine” (I Samuel 17:34-36).

It was this unshakable conviction about his God that led David to commit to the battle. “David said to Saul, let no man’s heart fail because of him [Goliath]; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (I Samuel 17:32). David firmly believed that his God was worthy of honor and reverence and that this Philistine had defied this truth about God.

Likewise, David was thoroughly convinced that God was with him and would deliver him as he accepted the challenge of Goliath for the Lord’s sake. This truth carried him into the battle. “Then David said to the Philistine, thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou has defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (I Samuel 17:45-46).

What was true for David then remains true for us now. David’s conviction of truth committed him to a path that honored and displayed that truth. That commitment disregarded the circumstances and persevered with accompanying courage. It belongs to us today as God’s children to be convinced of his truth and commit to following it no matter the consequence. The necessary courage arises when we trust the Lord. David may have had his encounter with Goliath in mind when he wrote, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).

You cannot fight the good fight of faith without courage, and neither can you fight it without conviction and commitment. All three are needed. The Apostle Paul captured the proper sentiment as he concluded his first letter to the believers in Corinth. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (I Corinthians 16:13).

What is That in Thy Hand?

God appeared to Moses in the midst of the burning bush on the backside of the desert at Mount Horeb. It was there that the LORD revealed to Moses that he was chosen to lead his people, the Jews, out of Egypt. Moses resisted God’s plan for himself and offered a number of excuses as to why God should choose someone else.

His first excuse was that he was common and unknown. “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Moses’ assessment of himself was accurate, but that was not important. God promised him “Certainly I will be with thee” (Exodus 3:12). When it comes to serving God “not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (I Corinthians 1:26). God is pleased to use the common things that the glory might all accrue unto himself. Paul captured this truth in one of his letters to the Corinthian believers when he spoke of his ministry among them. “But we have this treasure [the gospel ministry] in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

God was working with Moses to impress indelibly on his heart that God’s presence with him was provision enough. Yet Moses resisted and answered God “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee” (Exodus 4:1). God demonstrated to Moses that it was not Moses’ effort that would convince the people of Israel, but rather the power of God. “And the LORD said unto him, what is that in thy hand? And he said, a rod. And he said, cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it” (Exodus 4:2-3).

God brings his power to bear upon what we already have to use it for his glory. Recall the record of the young lad who had only five loaves and two fishes (John 6:5-14). Christ fed 5,000 men with that which the boy had brought with him. Serving God is never about who we are or what we have. Serving God is always about making ourselves available for him to use.

Finally, Moses made one last argument to God asserting his unsuitability for the task. “And Moses said unto the LORD, I am not eloquent…but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10). God pointed out to Moses that it was not Moses’ words that would convert the hearts of his people, but God’s word through Moses. “And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say” (Exodus 4:11-12).

The work of God is accomplished by God’s own power and his own word. If we know him as Lord and Savior, we have the great privilege of being used by him to advance his work. Tell me, what is that in thy hand? Are you willing to use it for the Lord?

Warning and Reward

In Psalm 19, David testifies to God’s revelation of himself through creation and through his written word. He uses the terms law, testimony, statutes, commandment, judgments to refer to the Scriptures that were available to him at that time. Today, we have the completed revelation of God in what we call our Bible. David’s inspired account in Psalm 19 is true of all of God’s revelation because it is God’s revelation of himself, not man’s opinion.

David shares several of the benefits that accrue from giving the right attention to God’s word. Here is just one, “Moreover by them [God’s judgments] is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:11). God’s word provides both warning and reward.

Mankind needs warning. We live in a world that is cursed by the fall and darkened by the corruption of sin. Consequently, “the whole world lieth in wickedness” (I John 5:19). If we don’t recognize that, it is because we ourselves are deceived. Jeremiah testified “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus himself testified “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Dark hearts living and attempting to navigate in a dark world need warning.   

We need a beacon of truth that speaks to both what we cannot see as well as that which we choose not to see. God’s word is that truth. We need to understand the implications of our choices and pursuits as well as our accountability to God, the Creator.  God’s word gives that understanding. We need to know that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). God’s word gives that warning. It is clear, emphatic, reliable.

But his word also promises reward to those who keep his testimony. The true blessings of life come from following God’s word and keeping his commandments. The Psalmist records those who delight in and meditate upon God’s word shall “be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:2-3). This is quite a promise. Those who keep his word shall draw from an unfailing source of nourishment, live fruitful lives, endure hard times well, and know prosperity in all the arenas of life. Solomon spoke of this life in this manner. “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).

The word of God does indeed provide both warning and reward. But it is more than just a roadmap that directs us to a blessed life. It is the very portal that brings us into a living relationship with the God of the word, the Source of all blessings, the Giver of all good things. His word brings us to him. “O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy” (Psalm 43:3-4; emphasis added). “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). You can only know this God through his word!

The Love of the Saints for the Saints

One of the earmarks of true Christianity is the love that believers have for one another. Shortly before his passion, the Lord instructed his disciples “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).

The Apostle John testified to the origin of this love. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God” (I John 4:7). He went on to relate the resulting operation of that love among those born into the family of God through faith in Christ. “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (I John 5:1).

This love among the saints of God permeates the New Testament. Paul commended the believers in Ephesus as well as Colossae for “their love unto all the saints” (Ephesians 1:15 and Colossians 1:4). He commended the love of the Philippians and challenged the Corinthian believers to follow their example (2 Corinthians 8:1-7). Many other examples and exhortations to this practice are found throughout the letters to the churches and the general epistles. 

But what did the Lord have in mind when he commanded us to love one another? Caring for the sick and helping those in need among the family of God readily comes to mind and certainly has its place in this command. But loving one another goes beyond these transient, earthly circumstances. Ministering along spiritual and eternal lines must be prominent in order for our love to be “as I have loved you”. Christ gave himself upon the cross to provide for the forgiveness of sins, to grant us eternal life, and to transform us into his glorious image through a dynamic walk with him. Surely, our love for one another must extend itself to these matters.

We demonstrate our love for one another through three practices of the local church which readily come to mind. The first of these is the exercise of our spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. God has given these to us through his Spirit for the building up of his body. “But the manifestation of the Spirit [spiritual gift or gifts] is given to every man to profit withal” (I Corinthians 12:7). Every believer is given at least one gift to be used for the edification of other Christians.

A second practice has to do with church discipline, separating from disobedient brethren for the sake of the body. A true exercise of love, this practice (almost non-existent in today’s churches) aims at bringing an erring brother or sister back into a harmonious walk with the Lord. Paul wrote “if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).

Finally, the privilege of all believers is to pray for one another. Paul urged the Galatian believers “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The law of Christ is the law of love and we are to help other believers in their walk with God by bringing them before the throne of grace.

How do you exercise your care for the spiritual welfare of your brothers and sisters in Christ?

The Goodness of God

Have you considered the goodness of God? The Scriptures tell us that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Every good gift is from God. Not only is it from God, but it is perfect in its purpose and blessing, suited appropriately to the person and moment. Further, it is the unchanging nature of God to do good because he is good.

Take a moment to recount something good in your life regardless of how important or inconsequential it may seem. That good thing came from God. He gives good gifts and only good gifts. We would do well to consider with regularity the blessings of God. The Psalmist records “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2). They are, indeed, innumerable. Thomas Watson, a 17th century Puritan preacher and author, reminds us “every time you draw your breath, you suck in mercy.”

God is unceasingly engaged in the caretaking of his creation. That includes each of us “for he giveth breath unto the people upon it [the earth]” (Isaiah 42:5). But our hearts are most often cold and indifferent to all his tender mercies. Even so, he does not change for “he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:35).

The goodness of God demands reflection. It is his goodness that leads us to repentance. The Apostle Paul wrote “despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Romans 2:4)? Repentance is essential to salvation. No man or woman will ever come to Christ and be saved without repenting of their sin first. And there is no greater gift than knowing that one’s sins are forgiven and eternal life is promised.

So I ask again, a bit more emphatically, have you considered the goodness of God. Such a reflection necessarily leads to expressing our gratitude to God for his blessings. The Psalmist wrote “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing” (Psalm 107:21,22).

Finally, such thanksgiving fuels loving service to God for his goodness. Samuel, God’s prophet, exhorted the children of Israel “only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you” (I Samuel 12:24). Perhaps, as Christians, we do not serve as we ought because we have lost sight of God’s blessings. That is easy to do in a materialistic society characterized by entitlement and self-indulgence.

We do well to reflect again and again on the great benefit of sins forgiven. Christ admonished Simon, a Pharisee, “to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:47). We dare not lose sight of how great a debt was forgiven through Christ’s blood on our behalf.  How can I keep that truth before me? Now, there’s something that genuinely merits consideration!

The God Who Holds History

Most of us are familiar with the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson was a man of supernatural strength granted to him by the Lord to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Delilah, a woman of the Philistines, captured Samson’s attention with her beauty. She used her feminine charms to get Samson to divulge the secret of his strength and the rest is history. He was captured, his eyes were put out, and he became the ridicule of the Philistines. Even so, God granted him one last display of strength to bring down the house where 3,000 of the Philistines had gathered to make sport of him and to praise their god for giving Samson to them. The Scriptures record “the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed in his life” (Judges 16:30).

What is often overlooked in this marvelous record of Israel’s deliverer is the fact that God superintended his birth, upbringing, and preparation for this time of service to God. Probably as much as forty years prior to Samson’s death, we read “the people of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years” (Judges 13:1). Israel’s disobedience resulted in their servitude.

But God had already planned to provide a deliverer, Samson. the “angel of the LORD appeared to the woman [Samson’s mother] and said to her, Behold, you are barren…but you shall conceive and bear a son…the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:3-5).

What a testimony to God’s control of all human events past, present, and future! He didn’t pick a man alive at the time of Israel’s woes to empower for service. Rather, he chose and prepared a man years before the time he would be needed. God ordained Samson’s birth and watched over him all the years of his youth protecting and preserving him for his role as deliverer.

Samson’s story is not an isolated event in history. God told Jeremiah, the prophet, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you: I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). The Apostle Paul declared “it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me” (Galatians 1:15-16). “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). History has rightly been called His Story. Consequently, God “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). “All things” is all things, from birth to death.

Now make the divine plan of this sovereign God in human history very personal. I am here by the design of an all-knowing and all-powerful God. When Isaiah writes “he [God] giveth breath unto the people upon it [earth], and spirit to them that walk therein” (Isaiah 42:5), that includes each of us. When John writes “thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11), that includes each of us. Have you considered God’s purpose for you?

The Deceit of Pride

Pride is a deceptive resident of every human heart. Paul admonished each of the believers in Rome regarding spiritual gifts “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Romans 12:3). He reiterated that warning of self-deception to the churches of Galatia. “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself” (Galatians 6:3).

In the Old Testament, Obadiah, the prophet, testified against Edom “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the cliffs of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, who shall bring me down to the ground?” (Obadiah 3). The capital city of Edom, Petra, was literally carved out of the rock high above the ground and, consequently, the Edomites believed they were safe from attack. But they did not count on God. “Though thou exalt thyself [through pride] as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD” (Obadiah 4).

Pride is deceitful because it precludes us from seeing ourselves as we are before God. We tend to see ourselves in comparison to others. For example, I see myself as a better outfielder than others on my ball team or I see myself as a more competent accountant than those in my office. Fill in the character or physical quality of your own choosing and you must agree that we most often see ourselves as better than our neighbor. Frankly, there may be occasions where such assertions have a measure of truth, but that does not diminish the resulting deception. Paul, through the Spirit of God, warned the Corinthians “For we dare not…compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12). Such comparisons are both natural and dangerous. Why is that?

In the first place, all that we are and have comes from God, as Paul reminded and rebuked the Corinthian believers. “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (I Corinthians 4:7). Moses likewise warned the Israelites as they were about to enter the promised land and lay claim to the blessings God had for them there that they “remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Whether it be natural talents, education, skills, social standing, material blessings, or prestige, it all comes from God.

David, king of Israel, said it well. “Both riches and honor come of thee…and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all…for all things come of thee” (I Chronicles 29:12-14). Consequently, a more sobering and accurate view of ourselves comes from seeing God as he is. It is from that comparison that we see ourselves as we truly are. Isaiah testified that he saw “the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple… And one [seraphim] cried unto another, and said, holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory…then said I [Isaiah], Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips…for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:1-5). It is natural to compare ourselves with others, but who can compare to God?

How do you see yourself?

The Danger of Prosperity

The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, delivered a series of warnings from God to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem to turn from their sin and to keep the covenant they had with God from the time of their exodus out of Egypt. Jeremiah gave some of these messages to the kings in Judah throughout the time of his ministry. One such king was Jehoiachin.

Jehoiachin was the son of King Jehoiakim, a wicked king who lived lavishly and built extravagant dwellings at the expense of the people. God knew of his wickedness, and warned him through Jeremiah. “Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbor’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; that saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled [paneled] with cedar, and painted with vermilion” (Jeremiah 22:13-14). Jehoiachin grew up with this indulgence which he learned under his father’s reign.

When his father died, Jehoiachin became king. The warnings of God through Jeremiah now came to him, but to no avail. Jeremiah records “I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice” (Jeremiah 22:21). It is evident that Jehoiachin’ s indulgent lifestyle made it difficult, if not impossible, for him to give heed to God’s admonition. In fact, his pampered youth promoted an outright rebellion to the message of God which ultimately resulted in God’s judgement. He was carried away captive to Babylon after a reign of only three months. There he spent the rest of his life.

There is a danger to be avoided in prosperity. When we are comfortable, we forget God and wrongly ascribe the blessings we enjoy as arising from ourselves. The Psalmist made this mistake and recorded his lesson learned. “In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. LORD, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled” (Psalm 30:6). What we have and our ability to enjoy it is by God’s good favor.

Furthermore, when we are comfortable with our circumstances, we inevitably desire greater comfort. This pursuit breeds self-indulgence that leads to greater sins. Ezekiel declares that such self-indulgence was at the very heart of Sodom and led to its destruction. “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). Self-indulgence leaves no room for the worship of God or ministering to others’ needs. Hosea warned “whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart” (Hosea 4:11). Unbridled self-indulgence robs one of understanding and the ability to respond to truth.

Our society promotes the pursuit of lifestyles that hinge on increasing comfort and unimpeded self-indulgence. It would seem that material wealth and personal comfort are the goals we should all be striving to achieve. But Jesus said “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). What is your comfort level? Can you hear what God the Lord says?