COMFORT
"But when you had eaten and were satisfied, YOU BECAME PROUD AND FORGOT ME."
Hosea 13:6 (NLT)
• Comfort is defined by a dictionary As the state of having a pleasant life, with everything that you need.
COMFORT as defined above is good and everyone desires IT.
- As good as comfort is, it can become a snare, if you do not know how to handle it.
GOD did bless the Israelites, they ate and were satisfied, then they became proud and did forget God.
“But Jeshurun [poetic name for Israel] grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese!
THEN HE FORSOOK GOD WHO MADE HIM,
AND SCORNFULLY ESTEEMED THE ROCK OF HIS SALVATION."
Deuteronomy 32:15 (NKJV)
- If you are not rooted in God properly, there is a level of Comfort that could make you desert or forget God.
WHOEVER God wants to bless, lift to higher HONOUR, Or bless materially, He always would want to proof the heart of such a person. - Material blessings should not undermine, subvert or weaken your relationship and fellowship with God.
IF your relationship or fellowship with God is shallow, you need to work on it, that you may have deeper fellowship with Him. - To perpetuate God's BLESSING in your LIFE, you have to work on your fellowship with Him.
WHATEVER material reward Or benefit received from God should not weaken Or undermine your relationship and fellowship with Him.
• When you started having delays in getting your prayers answered, God May be calling your attention to a particular character which He wanted you to work on and change.
WHATEVER blessing would make you lose your salvation would not be given to you by God.
CELEBRATE God with whatever He has blessed you with.
• God is waiting for some to change their characters, while they are waiting for God to change their situations or condition.
- If God Blesses you with the present state of your character, what would you do, and what would you become? WOULD you serve Him the more or not?
IF you are made comfortable, your real character will manifest. - If you struggle to obey the Word of God even when you are not in abundance, How would it be when you have abundance?
- Usually money comes with greed and pride.
AS you are being blessed, experiencing success and blessings in what you do, you feel like having more and think you are better than others.
17 COMMAND THOSE WHO ARE RICH IN THIS PRESENT AGE NOT TO BE HAUGHTY, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
18 LET THEM DO GOOD, THAT THEY BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS, READY TO GIVE, WILLING TO SHARE."
1 Timothy 6:17,18 (NKJV)
THE higher God takes you, the humbler or modest you should be.
A HUMBLE person would want to do God's will, come what may.
• The danger of Comfort is Spiritual laxity or apathy.
YOU should not allow apathy in your relationship with God.
4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, THAT YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; REPENT AND DO THE FIRST WORKS, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent."
Revelation 2:4,5 (NKJV)
- If you do not want to lose what you have, worship God with whatever you have.
HAS Comfort not made you complacent?
ARE you still fervent the way you were when you were less comfortable? - Remember the blessing you received from God should not be an excuse for not serving Him as you OUGHT (Revelation 2:4,5).
GOD has blessed you, make you comfortable, that you MAY serve Him the more—that you may be committed and be more faithful in His Kingdom.
17 "BECAUSE YOU SAY, ‘I AM RICH, HAVE BECOME WEALTHY, AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 AS MANY AS I LOVE, I REBUKE AND CHASTEN. Therefore be ZEALOUS and REPENT."
Revelation 3:17-19 (NKJV)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!