The “Quiet” Sin of Comfort

You promised normal.

A safe haven,

A hideout, 

An escape. 

You whispered sweet nothings,

I was smitten,

You took my breath away. 

You said as long as I trusted your voice,

And followed your way,

I would always remember us this way. 

You swore all that we built would never fade. 

You came in with ease,

You hid in disguise 

I  mistook you for peace. 

So I snooozed,

So I rested,

So I let my walls down,

I became defenseless. 

But you,

You were a reckoning.

A force so quiet,

I hardly discerned your blows,

So when I fell,

I fell deeply. 

With your mask down,

And the veil was torn,

I finally recognized you.

“My beloved,

How could you?

I trusted you!”

You sneered as it dawned on me,

That I was sleeping with the enemy. 

With vengeance, I shouted your name as I pulled the trigger, 

“Comfort!”

What we tolerate becomes the stronghold against our destinies. In the book of Exodus, chapter one, the Israelites (God’s people) are in a new era. The Bible says, “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,  but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." " So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.  They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly” Exodus 1:6-14 (NIV). The Israelites desire for “routine,” “normal” “ease” “Comfort” and “safety” become the idol that leads them to enslavement for over 400 years. The word tells us that a new King who did not favor them came into power. This king knew nothing about their ancestors, and he feared them.

Yet, the Israelites, in their comfort, did not discern or recognize the times in which they were. A shift had taken place, but they were blinded and deaf to discernment. Comfort comes in quietly, generally under the guise of peace, because it knows that we struggle with change and transition. It is also aware that if it promises us a life free of challenges, we will take the bait, as long as everything remains the same. God had prepared better for Israel, but the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violence takes it by force (Matthew 11:12). It was Israel’s responsibility to partner with God for their destiny. Yet, comfort had silenced their voices. How do we know this? It was not until after they became enslaved that they remembered Him and cried out to God. Comfort unarmed them because they willingly submitted to enslavers and built cities named after false gods (Pithom means “House of Atum”). Each time they allowed themselves to be taken at will by the Egyptians, they had traded their promise for fear and comfort. Thus, it is the little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards (Song of Solomon 2:15). The small things that we don’t destroy that have the power to kill us, yet also, in the words of President Snow from the movie “Hunger Games,” "it's the things we love the most that destroy us.” They loved their comfort more than God, than justice, and their lives, which cost them their freedom. It’s no coincidence that the Bible emphasizes the Israelites' growth and their increase in numbers. It demonstrates their power and the ability they had to take what belonged to them.

Nevertheless, their comfort had locked them out of their destiny. What is keeping you from living the life God has destined for you? What areas of your life are you tolerating that you need to cut off for good? & What are you going to do about it? I pray this week your spiritual eyes and ears are heightened, and you are on post as a watchman over all that God has given you dominion. 

Prayer

God, reveal the little foxes spoiling and destroying my vineyard. Help me to utterly destroy them until they are subdued in Jesus’ name. 

Be Encouraged, 

Love Monica.