The simple definition is this, whatever you seek for comfort when you are in distress is your god; it is not the true and living God unless you turn to His word and prayer.
In a moment I am going to use some verses from Psalm 119 to show how the psalmist sought comfort, but first, I will say a little about what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me about my own idolatry, all those things I have sought in times of distress.
After the 2020 election, I was in great distress because of disillusionment. I followed the election very closely and read the reports of the thuggery (when for example, republican ballot monitors were denied access to polls to monitor the opening of MIB); heard the testimonies of voting machines transferring thousands of votes after polls closed via illegal internet connections or poll worker manipulation; and several other things I cannot presently call to mind (I blogged on it but that post is lost in this blog, under the massive category of Progressive Govt…).
What disillusioned me was that no one in a position of authority did anything about the testimony that the brave witnesses provided; they permitted the steal to occur. [Added 9 days after posting – the chief source of my disillusionment derived from thinking that we may never have another fair election; then it occurred to me that we may never have had one in the past. Both thoughts made me sick at heart for this country.]
The message I got from what I witnessed happening was that the deep state is far deeper and wider than Trump knew when he said he would drain it. Since then, during this great reset, we have gotten a glimpse of its tentacles, they cover the globe.
So, in my distress, I turned to materialism to distract myself, buying a few guns and some ammo; even though I knew that a larger arsenal would not protect me if the government had a problem with me – they could just send a drone and evaporate me, or have me cancelled by their dupes….
God punished me for that by letting me go full ahead and empty my savings account to purchase that vain sort of protection. (The Bible gives plenty of examples of Him giving people over to their own desires if they turn from Him.)
Next, I turned to entertainment, I love Hallmark love stories and get lost in that fantasy world when reality is too ugly for me to bear….
I have been struggling to get back to God’s path but have not quite made it. Yet, I am being taught about my idols as I struggle to get back, as they are the reason I was enticed away – the idolatry in trusting in Trump instead of God was the first and greatest enticement that pulled me away from God.
Last week, during a read of Psalm 119, the word ‘comfort’ jumped off the page and registered on my consciousness as I read. I paused and made some notes about where I have been finding comfort from my distress. The big point that came home very quickly, was that anything I do to comfort myself at times of distress says something about what/whom I am trusting; that is also who I am worshiping.
I have heard pastor Paul Washer say, that God the Holy Spirit was busy crushing his idols…. He was talking about what is written above.
The Bible is full of these things. For example, in the prophets, when Israel turned to Egypt or Assyria for protection, God chastened them severely. I couldn’t make sense of that when I was a new Christian and heard Isaiah preached through during a two-year period at the second church I attended. However, as God has been dealing with me, I can see those things more clearly in scripture.
From those scriptures and the above examples, comfort was derived from something that was trusted in. Israel trusted that Egypt would protect them, hence, comfort was experienced. I trusted that my idol of materialism would remove the pain of my disillusionment; I was trusting in it to distract me and more. However only God can deliver from enemy forces or from perilous thoughts, He is the God of peace; He is almighty.
Without a knowledge of scripture, one will not likely see any or many of his idols. The Holy Spirit works through the word to reveal many things to us, things about God and about ourselves. It takes time and the revealing of our idolatry to us before we can believe what God says about us in scripture – that we are spiritually lost sheep without Him.
As you interact with God, via confessing sin, mourning your sinfulness, delighting in His mercy and forgiveness and desiring to sin less… these sorts of things are made clear by the Holy Spirit through the word and prayer.
That process can be heard, for example, in the brief sermon by Luther, in the category Martin Luther. He talks about the great failings of the teachers God used greatly. Working through such things gave them increased understanding of their own sins and experiential understanding of scripture, enhancing their teaching abilities….
To hear the video of Luther’s sermonette: https://sheeplywolves.com/abstain-from-fleshly-lusts-which-war-against-the-soul-martin-luther/
One last comment before I give some examples from Psalm 119:
When I was reading the following text in Philippians the other day, I wanted to know how long Paul had been a Christian when he uttered those words. On a chart in the front of the NIV study Bible, I discovered that he was converted around age 30 and was around 60 when he stated the following. Although he was apparently given much more insight about the things of God than any other apostle or human, he stated those words below.
[NLT was used below, for those who are not familiar with scripture]
Php 3:10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, Php 3:11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Straining Toward the Goal Php 3:12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Php 3:13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, Php 3:14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Php 3:15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.
Paul was still growing, struggling to learn and obey…after 30 years on the mission field undergoing intense struggles against the forces of evil….
Paul’s comfort came from the trust he placed in Christ, who enabled him to continue that struggle, not in the things of the world. And that struggle would last until the executioner’s axe took his life.
Some verses from Psalm 119 wherein the psalmist found comfort in the things of God:
Psa 119:50 Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.
Psa 119:52 I meditate on your age-old regulations; O LORD, they comfort me.
Psa 119:76 Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.
Psa 119:82 My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me?
The following verses from Psalm 119 were indirect statements about comfort: 36, 54, 58, 63, 67, 74, 75, 79,81,92,111,128, 132,133,145,153,169, and 170.
After all the wonderful statements about God’s law and the prayers the psalmist uttered in 175 verses, he closed with a statement that has to be comforting to all of us engaged in the fight, about his failure again and his taking comfort that God would be merciful to him and enable him to continue.
Psa 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
Conclusion:
Observe yourself to discover your sources of comfort; know that your trust is placed in those things. Christians are commanded to trust only in God.
All addictions are idols. I used to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes, and I remember what I experienced when deprived of the latter, in particular. My habit of turning to materialism is also an idol, as I consistently go to it when I am distressed.
The things we trust in must be seen and those habits / addictions taken to God that He might provide the grace we require to let go of them.
Examining your sins via prayer and journaling, to understand what moved you to partake in such idolatry; and seeing the net gains (read Romans 6) are necessary so that the futility and vanity of such conduct can be seen, and by grace, forsaken.
Read Psalm 115, or Isaiah 44 to see how God views idolatry.