Saturday Reading: Amos 5:4-7 Key Verse: Amos 5:5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. Devotion: When Amos brought the Word from God to the people it was not just a call for the people of Israel to remember God but to turn back to Him. Amos, like many prophets, had to warn the people that they were barking up the wrong tree again; they were chasing after idols and other things in their lives. God does not want us to focus on the things that we think are important but rather to focus clearly on Him. It is hard to identify what we should focus on when we start to pick up on what we think is important in our walk with God. If we start to think that the ceremonies that we perform in church are what keeps us together, then we lose focus on God Himself. If we focus on making sure that we follow the law, then we get very strict and lose track on our personal relationship with God. If we focus on making sure that we do and say the right stuff, then we leave God behind and take just the law with us. God has been warning mankind for a long time about losing focus on what is important; and each time we seem to try to focus on something that will do it for us instead of just being with God. When Jesus paid a visit to Martha and Mary, one was too busy making sure that everything was in the right place and that the meal was the best she could make for Christ; when all Christ was looking for was open hearts to follow Him. We do tend to go off and try to please God in worldly ways when He is continually reminding us that we have a personal relationship with Him and that relationship is what is important; not the ways of the world. When we lift Him up, are we lifting Him up on top of the world? Are we lifting up part of the world and then trying to place Him on top? Should we not be simply giving God the glory and allowing our love to lift Him up? Yes it is a difficult distinction to make sometimes because we do get caught up in so many things! Points to Ponder: Do you try to glorify God? Are you using the world to glorify Him?
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 06:53:35 +0000
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