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!
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!
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