Focus

Prepare yourself to discern what is and what is not of God today. Still yourself so you can hear how God is calling you.

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Read

Amos 4:6-13 (NRSV)

I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and lack of bread in all your places,
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.

And I also withheld the rain from you
when there were still three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would be rained upon,
and the field on which it did not rain withered;
so two or three towns wandered to one town
to drink water, and were not satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.

I struck you with blight and mildew;
I laid waste your gardens and your vineyards;
the locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.

I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword;
I carried away your horses;
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.

I overthrew some of you,
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were like a brand snatched from the fire;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.

Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!

For lo, the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind,
reveals his thoughts to mortals,
makes the morning darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth—
the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!

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Reflect

Wow! Heavy reading for today. I know I got my toes stepped on, how about you?

Receiving correction from God is never easy. I do not mind telling you that as a child I received a “heavy hand” of correction across my back side from time to time. This happened when I overstepped my bounds, or smarted off. My earthly father corrected me because he loved me. He taught me manners and was concerned for my safety.

In our scripture today God repeatedly, using multiple tactics, corrected Israel, awaiting their return. They often worshipped other gods and only gave lip service to the one true God. God sent many prophets to Israel, including Amos, to tell them to stop, repent, and return to worship of God. I can almost picture God using my mother’s infamous countdown, 1…2…2½….The problem was that Israel, like many children, refused to take these warnings seriously.

God is still in the business of correcting God’s children. Sometimes we listen, sometimes we don’t. I am thankful that I have a loving God who cares enough for me to correct me, to set me straight. Many blessings!

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Pray

Lord, thank you for loving me enough to correct me because you have my best interests in mind. Help me to understand that being corrected is for my own good. Let me grow from those experiences so that I can love and serve you more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Go with God.