Snooze

Loud, rhythmic beeps pierced my dream, and I realized I was no longer skiing at the lake, but underneath warm covers. After several seconds, I reluctantly surfaced from under the blankets into the morning chill, and reached sporadically in the dark for the culprit. After my fumbling proved unsuccessful, I lifted my head with annoyance and opened my eyes ever so slightly. I spotted the source of the alarm, and slapped the button on top. The beeps ceased mid-rhythm, and my head collapsed on the pillow. Immediately I felt the heat being sucked from my scalp, so I repositioned to find my head’s former resting place. Within a few seconds I was lulled back to a deep sleep... at least for another ten minutes.



I sometimes continue this process five or six times before exerting the energy required to arise from bed. I then groggily walk to the closet to get dressed for the day's activities. Thankfully I am not still living under my parents' rule where my mother may have finally delivered on her promise to "get the ice-cold washcloth." What can I say? I love being comfortable.



But I'm not the only one.



"Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.'" -Genesis 47:5,6



When the Hebrews moved to Egypt, they were given "the best land" to live in. It is easy to think very little of Egypt's "best land" when all we've seen are pictures of the pyramids and camels riding through the desert. But the Hebrews settled in the land of Goshen, along the Nile River. This is some of the most beautiful and fertile land not only in the Middle East, but also in the world.

Why such rich rewards? Perhaps because Joseph not only saved his family, but essentially saved all of Egypt by being obedient to the LORD. God used Joseph's presence, in both high and low places, to make a huge impact on that culture. Joseph stayed faithful to God, he never compromised, and the land was blessed because of it.



But apparently the Hebrews became so comfortable there that they became entrenched in the Egyptian culture, even worshiping the Egyptian gods (Ezekiel 20:5-9). No doubt their government jobs, free health care, decent wages and work schedule seduced them into their recliners on the weekends. There was no need to depend on God for their daily bread, Pharaoh took care of their needs. They compromised, and thus became ineffective in their eternal impact. So what is God to do to encourage His people to forsake a comfortable life of idolatry?



"Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt. He said to his people, 'Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are! Come, let's deal wisely with them.'"
-Exodus 1:8-10




I suspect that America is much like Egypt: A foreign land where God's people came and prospered. And like Pharaoh, our government and its people have forgotten the God who blessed them. However, this is not due to their bad recall, but to our own amnesia. Like the Hebrews, in our comfort we have turned to the gods of our culture and ordered our lives and our living room furniture around the plasma screen. The false gods of entertainment and excess dominate our time, drain our money, and ever so surely we are becoming their slaves
.

I recently heard from a friend, who is a missionary to Africa, that when Catholicism spread through the continent it integrated into the culture rather than converting it. Instead of discouraging idolatry and teaching the people to worship the one true God, they were encouraged simply to add him to their lists of deities. Apparently it’s not too uncommon to see a church with the Virgin Mary alongside a sun and a moon. They compromised, and thus rendered the church’s impact ineffective on that society.

But are we really that different?

When we examine our lives, might we be sending conflicting messages? Why do I seek out counsel from Parenting Magazine before looking to God's Word? How can I celebrate with wild enthusiasm during the Sunday afternoon football game, when I barely moved a muscle throughout worship service that morning? Why does food, not my Heavenly Father, dominate my dinner conversation? What am I really planning on doing with that big tax refund?

I conclude that in a land of abundance many of us are comfortable spiritually sleeping in our society and under its idols, continually hitting the snooze on God's gentle warnings. But I suspect that unless we remove ourselves from our cozy situation, God may douse us with a wilderness of our own, where we can learn to worship Him alone and reclaim our effectiveness.