Readings for today: Amos 6-9
Reading the prophets is challenging. We don’t like what they have to say. We don’t want to hear their words. They hit too close to home. They cut us to the heart. Deep down we know what they say is true. The reign of Jeroboam II in Israel was a glorious one. He ruled at a time when the nation enjoyed great power and wealth. They felt safe and secure. All was good. But the people grew complacent. They continued to worship at the false shrines Jeroboam I had set up. They continued to oppress the poor and pervert justice. They refused to obey the commands of God. God had raised up king after king but all of them abandoned Him. None of them remained faithful. And the people followed their lead. Kind of feels familiar, doesn’t it?
God’s patience eventually runs out. Sit and ponder that thought for a moment. It’s not that God loves His people any more or any less. It’s not that God is now going to turn His back on them. It’s not that God will abandon His covenant. He cannot. He will not. Instead, His relationship with them will shift. He moves from grace to justice. He stops sending prophets to call them back to faithfulness and instead sends prophets to pronounce judgment. Israel will be destroyed. Israel will be wiped from the face of the earth. Israel will be punished for the full measure of her sins. The Lord disciplining those He loves. The Lord allowing a season of hardship, suffering, and death to come in order to turn their hearts back to Him.
It is a hard but necessary truth to face. The Lord’s love for us is double-edged. He will show grace and mercy. He will remain steadfast and faithful and true. He will be tender and compassionate at times. But He will also discipline us. He will confront us. He will allow us to suffer the consequences for our sins. Being in relationship with God means trusting Him to love us like a faithful father. He will not always give us what we want but He will provide what we need. And His primary goal is not to make us comfortable. Not to make us happy. Not to protect us from all pain and heartache and suffering. No, His primary goal is to make us more like Jesus. His only beloved Son who Himself was made perfect through suffering.
Friends, I know we are all going through challenging times. There is tremendous fear and anxiety all around us. We watch the news and find our hearts filled with frustration and anger. We suffer and struggle and battle through each and every day. The future is uncertain and that drives us nuts. Some of us have gotten sick. Some of us have been laid off. Some of us have experienced oppression. All of us have been impacted in one way or another. The only hope we have is that God is at work! God will be faithful! Even as we suffer through this difficult time, we know there is a light at the end of the tunnel! There is hope waiting for us on the far side of pain. Listen to the promise God gave Israel and let it turn your heart back to Him today.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.” (Amos 9:13-15)
Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 1-5