In Psalm 25:12-13 [KJV], it says, “ What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.”
At ease… safe, secure, protected, unafraid. That’s God’s promise for them that fear the Lord.
Then there’s Amos 6:1. “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…” This is obviously a very different “at ease”. In describing these people, it goes on to say that they trust in the mountain of Samaria; they put far away the evil day; they are lying on their ivory beds; they are eating and drinking, singing and playing music; they anoint themselves. But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph… the one whom his brothers persecuted for their jealousy of the calling of God on his life. Their brother that God had destined to be their deliverer, but first had to be faithful through a time of affliction and testing and molding.
When we think of those “at ease in Zion”, the first thing that comes to mind, of course, are the slothful… ones that are unwilling to expend their energy or resources for the work of God. Not willing to take any risk of loss or sacrifice. Ones that bury their one talent in the ground. Observers only. Wanting to receive, but not give back.
That is a true application, but there is another “at ease in Zion”, that is a lot harder to recognize, and therefore more dangerous. It’s ones who feel at ease BECAUSE they are SO involved… SO busy… sacrificing SO much. Because they are DOING so much, they naturally get a lot of praise and appreciation from those that see and are blessed by their good works. (And rightly so.) But that praise can become the thing that puts them at ease, makes them feel good about themselves, makes them comfortable. The praise of men can start to become something they love more than the praise of God.
God is calling His people to a deeper surrender than most are willing to accept. If we have examined ourselves, and feel like we’ve done all that we know to do, then the next step is to truly let HIM examine us… hiding nothing… holding NOTHING back. Cry out to God to take away any false “at ease”, and replace it with the fear of God, that will give us HIS kind of “at ease”.
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