September 21
Amos 6: 1: Woe to them
that are at ease in Zion.
Brethren, can we say we have ever been at
ease since God called us by his grace? Indeed, we have sweet rest in our Savior from
all our vain works. We rejoice that our
labors are done in seeking to make ourselves righteous. God has made us to submit to the righteousness
of God, Christ Jesus. We know that we
have the promise of God to keep us so that we can rest from fear of falling
away. In this way, indeed, our soul
dwells at ease.
But, since the Lord called us we have
experienced nothing like ease when it comes to our continual battle with our
flesh, our sin and this world. Lord, do
not let us become at ease when it comes to these spiritual enemies. May we ever be fighting the fight of faith. We hate sin, we hate struggle and pain, but
how good it is to feel the plague of our sin, to hate it and despise it, to
mourn that it is against our God. At
least then we are drawing near to Christ, at least then we are seeking his
abiding presence, at least then we are forced to look away from ourselves to
Christ alone. All carnal ease where
there is no sin to bother us, no world to tempt us, where all seems wonderful
and the conscience is never seeking the smile of God is a most dangerous place
to be. As much as sin and this world and
Satan are a thorn, when we are weak we are strong for then we are looking to
Christ alone. We would rather be utterly
weak with Christ as our strength than to live in ease without him.