Amos 1-4

Moving right along in the Bible today brings us to the book of Amos.  I am drawn to what Amos has to say because he is just a regular guy, a shepherd, sharing God's word.  Like the other prophets, Amos is trying to get the attention of God's people who are so caught up in their ways, they don't realize how far they have drifted from God.  I am definitely seeing a pattern here.  How about you?  
Another thing I noticed is that God points out all the signs He has sent His people to bring them back to Him, things like starvation, drought, destroyed crops, and plagues.  Yet, God is upset because His people are still running to away from Him.

I guess it's still true.  Nothing like a good disaster to bring us back to the God we need so much.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather do whatever it takes to depend on God and avoid the crisis.  That is certainly easier said than done because time and time again in the Bible, and in my life, it can be difficult to recognize how far we are drifting until after the fact.  God calls us one way, and we go another.  What signs does God send us today to give us direction?  How does God talk to you personally?  How does He talk to our nation, our communities, our neighborhoods?

Two verses jumped out at me today:

Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?

Amos 3:4

This verse is one to remember in fighting peer pressure, both for myself and my kids.  We are responsible for our own actions.

He who forms the mountains,
    who creates the wind,
    and who reveals his thoughts to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth—
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.

Amos 4:13

I love this verse because God is our Mighty Creator with all His power, in all His divine perfectness, and He still wants to fill our fragile hearts with His thoughts.  He is God, and He wants us to know Him as well as He knows us.  God's presence is here and now.

A prayer for today-

Dear Almighty God,

I thank you for your presence in my life.  Forgive me when I fail to recognize the signs you send, calling me closer to You.  Lord, sometimes I need you to be really direct with me.  I need You to grab me by the hand and put me in Your place for me.  Help me discern Your will in all things, big and small.

In the name of Jesus, I pray,

Amen

Love, in Christ,