But They Shall Not Find It . . .

Reading:  Amos 5 - 9
My Verse:  "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD God,
                         when I will send a famine on the land-
                         not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
                            but of hearing the words of the LORD.

                     They shall wander from sea to sea,
                          and from north to east;

                     they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD,
                          but they shall not find it"  (Amos 8:11-12).

Oh, LORD God, how awful is this!  Throughout scripture there are stories of a person or a people who refuse to listen to You, hardening their hearts against You until You give in to that and they become forever lost in their denial of You.  These Israelites who denied you realize that they have lost Your word, but at this point,  even though they seek it they cannot find it!

The NIV study bible notes state that once the Israelites went into exile where Your Word was missing they finally understood how truly precious Your word was.  And now it was forever lost to them!

To know that you have lost something most important but cannot find it - to be totally unable to get at that truth that you denied has to be an awful state of mind!

I grow concerned for our country as each day brings something else to light that should not be.  Confusion, disorganization and hostility seems to reign at the very center of our government.

You, LORD God, are a God of order.  You are a God of civility.  You are a God of truth.  Our country seems to be straying further and further from Your precepts.  The fear is that a day is coming when You will send a famine of truth - Your truth.  ". . . they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it . . ."

I read of a tribe found that was incredibly destitute - and yet they were surrounded by incredible resources.  They had strayed so far from Your truth and precepts that they didn't even know how to harvest the riches that surrounded them!  This is what happens when we stray away from You, when we keep going in the wrong direction.  We become totally lost to all that is right, to Your order, to Your goodness!

Last Sunday the pastor taught on 1 Peter 4: 12-19.  He spoke of how we can let pain,  brokenness and confusion blind us.  When we suffer our emotions become clouded - our ability to see clearly is obscured.  We end up in a fog of unclear thinking, poor decision making.  If we do not make a course correction we will slowly but surely lose our way entirely.  The longer we stay in that fog of pain, suffering and confusion it becomes harder and harder to get out of it.

Reading Amos shows a pattern of how we can deny You to the point where we cannot find our way to You and Your truth, LORD God.  This is truly frightening.

Help me to be faithful in praying for those who deny You, LORD God; who keep saying maybe tomorrow.  They may not get that tomorrow for You may send a famine into their hearts and they will search but not find . . .

That is not what You want.  You want fellowship with us.

"Here I am!
 I stand at the door and knock.
 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
 I will come in and eat with him,
 and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Yet, You Did Not Return To Me . . .

Reading:  Amos 3,4
My Verse:  "For behold, He who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
                         and declares to man what is his thought,
                         Who makes the morning darkness,
                         and treads on the heights of the earth--
                         the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!" (Amos 4:13).

Tragic and seeringly sad words those are, "yet, you did not return to me . . ."  They are repeated five times in chapter 4.

The lyrics of a song I heard echoes this thought.  I am paraphrasing - "some people never realize what it is they really want until they lose everything."

Amos goes through all the things You, LORD God do to try to bring Israel back to You - many terrible things.

   -famine, verse 6
   -drought, verses 7-8
   -blight, mildew, locusts, verse 9
   -pestilence, verse 10
   -overthrown cities as when Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, verse 11

   - and yet in each case, they (Israel) would not return to you, LORD God.
   "yet you did not return to me."

You did many of these same things to Pharaoh but he also did not relent and so met a tragic end, lost for eternity.

I am reminded of King Nebuchadnezzar who lost his sanity before he turned to You, LORD God.

Why is it so hard for us to give up our waywardness to turn back to You, LORD God?  Why do we prefer those things that only bring us misery to the freedom You offer?

I once read a devotional that made the point that the basis of all sin is pride.  As in Lucifer, who became so proud of his beauty and talents that You, bestowed upon him.  That is just it - all that we have, that we are is only because You in Your love and graciousness gave these things to us.

All that exists - exists because of You, LORD God.

". . . the God in whose hand is your breath. . . "  (Daniel 5:23)
"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things" (Romans 11:36).
"God works all things according to the counsel of His will"  (Ephesians 1:11).
"So then it depends not on human will or exertion, 
   but on God, who has mercy" (Romans 9:16).
"The lot is cast into the lap,
   but its every decision is from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:33).

John Piper has an excellent sermon on the web that speaks to this.  He makes a most important point that yes, all things come from You, LORD God but not all evil things. (1 John 2:15-16)

This passage in Amos just makes me so incredibly grateful, LORD God, that You drew me to You so relentlessly, and that You have kept me.  I am so aware of the awesomeness of this for I would be as those Israelites - "yet you did not return to me."

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and the knowledge of God!
 How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
 For who has known the mind of the LORD,
   or who has been his counselor?
   Or who has given a gift to him
     that he might be repaid?
 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
 To him be glory forever.  Amen" (Romans 11:33-36)

Thank You, LORD God for saving me.

Beloved One by Jenny and Tyler

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!