April 1 - The Uncomfortable Pew

 Read today’s texts first: Judges 11,12; Psalms 50; 2 Corinthians 1

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Either we step outside our comfort zones willingly
or God will push us out.

While Pierre Berton may have observed church goers who were far too comfortable in their pews, following Jesus should have the opposite effect. We can see from the history of Israel, especially during the time of the judges, how quickly God’s people forgot about Him when things were going well. Invariably, when that happened, things got uncomfortable in a hurry!

It seems we have a choice: either we step outside our comfort zones willingly or God will push us out. It’s the only way we can remember to depend on Him all the time. Paul got so uncomfortable that he was afraid for his life, but he realized this happened so he would not rely on himself but on God (1:9).

It is also during times of discomfort that we learn how to be comforted by the Holy Spirit, supernaturally, despite our circumstances. And through that process, we also learn how to become a source of comfort to others: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (1:3,4).

“Lord, I am so grateful for the comforting presence of Your Holy Spirit. That comfort, Your presence, is a deposit, a guarantee of much more comfort in the life to come (1:22)!”