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The prophet Amos preached to a people hard of heart. As he spoke the words of the Lord, the Lord said through him, that He (the Lord) was the reason for their suffering. Though they suffered the people refused to give any attention to the instructive teaching experiences that came from the Lord. Whatever they might have thought with regard to the Lord was nothing more than a fleeting thought. Because of their approach, the Lord had one exhortation that has (and does) not escaped the thoughtful Bible reader: “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12).
Think about these words for a minute or two. This was spoken to a people that was blessed more than one can truly say: they had the very will of God (Scripture) in their possession; they were spared of the Lord’s wrath time and again; they had material wealth because of their geographical location (coming out of Egypt, put in place by the Lord). Though all this was the case, the people of the land grew fat and sassy. The Lord had enough!
I can’t help but think about this country of ours. We live in the United States of America, a land of liberty and freedom. Yet we are controlled by people who have no knowledge of the Lord. They enshrine into law the killing of innocent children; they put (vote and appoint) into public office people confused about their gender; they support sexual behavior that is nothing but morally deviant; our entertainment industry engages in the same and the general public pays money to view it; alcoholic beverages are promoted as great pleasures of social interaction. The list goes on.
Somehow, as a country, we feel as if there will be a tomorrow, the Lord will not call us to account for these atrocious ways that spit in the Almighty’s face. It may be there will be a tomorrow for each of us, but in the Lord’s time, we will have to account for our freedoms that have turned into what we see today. It’s foolish for us to think we will not have to give an account. Israel thought that also. Are you prepared to meet your God?
Ron Thomas
Sunrush church of Christ
Chillicothe, OH