Todays Meditation Amos 2:6-10, 13-16 June 30, 2014 The First Martyrs of Holy Roman Church Beware. (Amos 2:13) Judgment Day! We’ve all seen cartoons showing a bearded, bedraggled character walking down the street holding a sign that says, “The End is Near!” Well, guess what? That cartoon character is right—to a point. There will come a time when Jesus will return to judge all people and bring into his kingdom those whose faith and love have opened them up to his salvation. Jesus himself spoke about this, saying that he would come to separate “the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32). In Israel in the eighth century b.c., the prophet Amos appeared, urging the people to turn back to God through repentance and works of justice. Why did God call him? Because of sin. The northern kingdom of Israel had grown quite prosperous, yet despite their increasing wealth, injustice was rampant. The poor were getting poorer, while the rich were getting richer and were ignoring the call of God to care for the needy and the neglected. Regard for innocence, humility, and trustworthiness was at an all-time low, and idolatry was on the rise. God sent Amos to warn the people that they would be held accountable for their sins. He urged them to step out of the grip of sin and into the warm embrace of God’s mercy. From age to age, God has called his people to himself with the same passionate love he showed for ancient Israel. As a just Father, he sometimes must correct and discipline us. And as a loving Father, he constantly holds out his hand in the hope that we will turn back to him in repentance. Most of us cringe at the thought of God confronting us with our sin, but we need to know that with God’s conviction always comes the promise of forgiveness and salvation. He never shows us our sin out of a desire to condemn us or destroy us. No, he wants to transform us into the image of Christ. The plain truth is that we cannot save ourselves, just as the ancient Israelites could not. We need his correction and his grace to change. So don’t shy away from the Spirit’s convictions. Instead, ask him to heal you and to reshape you. “Thank you, Father, for your loving correction and the purifying work of your Spirit. Help me to accept all that you do to make me a new creation.” Psalm 50:16-23; Matthew 8:18-22
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 08:01:41 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015