September 28
Amos 1-4
Being the people chosen by God was a double edged sword for
Israel. They liked receiving God’s blessings. They remembered His promise to
make them a great nation and that He would give them a land flowing with milk
and honey. But being God’s chosen people
carried with it a responsibility also. "“You only have I chosen of all the families of the
earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”" (Amos
3:2, NIV) God named other nations and the sins they had committed, but Israel
should have known better. Instead of listening to God, they rejected the
prophets and sought lying prophets to tell them what they wanted to hear. God,
through Amos, tells Israel that their punishment is coming.
God reminds them of the warnings He sent. But instead of
returning to God, they continued in their sin while bragging about their
worship. As God speaks you can hear His frustration with these people on whom
He has poured out His love only to be jilted. He has done enough warning, He
now tells them to prepare to meet their God.
I wonder what God thinks when people in His church continue
to act like the rest of the world. We talk about our worship, but do we really
bring God into our services. Have we gotten spiritually lazy like the women of
Israel who God chastises? God wants one thing from us. He wants us to turn to
Him. He wants to be the object of our affection. He wants to be the object of
our worship. God wants a relationship with us. Until we turn to Him and
surrender to Him, no matter what we may gain, it will all be as loss. It will
all leave us empty. Are you prepared to meet your God?
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