I’m A Blogger

Inspired by Brother Talley of The Graysville Church of God

Modern preachers like to tell us that God has our comfort in mind. They like to twist scripture to the point of preaching false doctrine so that we believe that God is in existence as our ethereal “Bell-Boy”, seeking to make sure our Newspaper is on our doorstep and there is a mint on our pillows…proverbially speaking.
The problem with that is, well, quite frankly, EVERYTHING. Yes, God loves and cares about us, but his mind is on our soul and not our comfort level. It doesn’t matter to him if you drive a Lexus or a Camry. It doesn’t concern God if your house is 4,000 Sq.ft or if you live in 2 rooms of your mother-in-laws trailer.
Don’t get me wrong, God will bless as he wills, and if He wants to give you a 4,000 Sq.Ft. house or a Lexus, He will. Cause He can. Cause He is God. But that isn’t what God is about.

There are times in life where God may allow trials to come to test you. We find this in the Bible over and over again and the end result is always for our good. We might not always “pass the test” but the point of the test is to make us trust in Him more fully.

It wasn’t very comfortable when the Israelites were facing the Red Sea and the Armies of Egypt were right behind them, but God came through.  It wasn’t very comfortable when Daniel was in the Den full of hungry lions, but God came through.  It definately wasn’t very comfortable when the 3 Hebrew boys were facing a very hot furnace.  We know that God came through, but what is amazing is the faith of these guys.  We read in Daniel 3:17 and 18:

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Even in the faith of the most uncomfortable thing, death, they still were able to pass the test.

Some of you might disagree with me and say, “Well isn’t God the Holy Spirit known as the Comforter“?

John 14:26 says:  “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

So the answer to that question is: “YES, The Holy Spirit is known as the Comforter.”

“Well, how can God be the God of Discomfort, if you just said he is the Comforter.”?

I’m glad you asked, man behind the computer screen.

For the answer to this we need to go to Matthew Chapter 4.  I hope that you will see where I am going, because this shows the HOLY SPIRIT, i.e. The Comforter, leading Jesus into the wilderness for the sole purpose to be tempted by the Devil….Not a very comfortable thing if you ask me.  I will quote this passage and in parenthesis have an explanation of the text.  And for the easily confused, I will put the explanation in a different color than the scripture.

Matthew 4

1. Then (immediately after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Him) was Jesus led up (urgently led) of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) into the wilderness (probably close to Jericho) to be tempted of the Devil (as the Last Adam, He would be tempted in all points like as we are [Heb. 4:15 ; I Cor. 15:21-22 , 45, 47]).
2. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward hungry (other than Christ, three men in the Bible fasted forty days and forty nights: Moses [Deut.9:9, 18, 25 ; 10:10] , Joshua [Ex. 24:13-18 ; 32:15-17] , and Elijah [ I Kings 19:7-8]).
3. And when the tempter (Satan) came to Him, he said, If you be the Son of God ( since You are the Son of God), command that these stones be made bread ( Christ was tempted to use His Power for His Own benefit, which He was to never do).
4. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God ([Deut. 8:3] ; man is a spiritual being as well as a physical being; therefore, dependent on God).
5. The the Devil took Him up (a powerful force) into the Holy City (Jerusalem), and set Him on a pinnacle of the Temple (It’s highest point, which Josephus stated, was about 700 feet from the ravine below),
6. And said unto Him, If you be the Son of God (since you are the Son of God); cast Yourself down (literally spoken): for it is written, He shall give His Angels charge concerning You: and in their hands they shall bear You up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone ( derived from Psalms 91:11-12).
7. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God ([Deut. 6:16]; to tempt God is to question His Word, which casts doubt on His ability to do what He has promised).
8. Again (the third temptation), the Devil took Him up into an exceeding high mountain (not definitely known, but probably Nebo), and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them (showed them to Him, not in a physical sense, but rather in a spiritual sense);
9. And said unto Him, All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me (the temptation was that Christ abrogate the Cross, through which He would regain all things).
10. Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan (presents Christ for the first time Personally addressing Satan): for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve (Satan desires that mankind worship and serve him; we are to worship and serve the Lord alone).
11. Then the Devil left Him (“departed from Him for a season,” meaning that there would be other temptations [Lk.4:13]), and, behold, Angels came and ministered unto Him (in what manner they ministered, we aren’t told).

Well, in that passage, we see an uncomfortble situation the Son of God faces, brought on by the Comforter.

I think we just need to keep our focus on Christ and not on the cares of this life.  Whatever you are going through, God may have sanctioned it, but rest assured, He hasn’t left you.  Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling.  The Lord will bring you out and it will make you stronger in Him and give you a closer walk.  You may be in the wilderness, but remember, Canaanland is just in sight.

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