"Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?
Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing?
Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing?
Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid?
Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?"
Amos 3:3-6
The prophet Amos is trying to get the people to understand that God is trying to get their attention. He posits a series of questions, setting up the principle of “cause and effect,” that things don’t just happen without a reason. The troubles they are having - enemy attacks, civil unrest, bad weather, droughts, flooding, crop failures, economic loss and epidemics, are all caused by God and done for a purpose; to get them to turn to Him in prayer, repentance and faith.
Does this sound familiar?
The rest of the chapter consists of a series of “I did this, but you didn’t listen; then I did this other thing and you still didn’t listen” statements.
What will it take to get our attention? Will we turn as a nation and seek God in repentance and faith? Or will we continue to ignore His efforts to call us to our senses, insist that it’s all just coincidence, and continue on our crazy way, leaving God out of life, pushing God out of schools, courtrooms, legislation, public discourse, entertainment, history, and family? That’s what Israel did, and it didn’t go well for them. Read the Book! But of course we don’t read the Book anymore, do we?
Lord, have mercy on us. Open the eyes of our nation. Give us a heart that responds in true repentance, recognizes where we’ve gone wrong and returns to You. We know that You reward those who seek You. Lord, beginning with me, give us a heart that believes this and humbly returns until as a people we find forgiveness and restoration in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles
Comments