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13 September 2007
Amos 6 v 8-14
The Lord GOD made this promise; the LORD God All-Powerful says:
"I hate the pride of the Israelites, and I hate their strong buildings, so I will let the enemy take the city and everything in it."
At that time there might be only ten people left alive in just one house, but they will also die. When the relatives come to get the bodies to take them outside, one of them will call to the other and ask, "Are there any other dead bodies with you?"
That person will answer, "No."
Then the one who asked will say, "Hush! We must not say the name of the LORD."
The LORD has given the command; the large house will be broken into pieces, and the small house into bits.
Horses do not run on rocks, and people do not plough rocks with oxen.
But you have changed fairness into poison; you have changed what is right into a bitter taste.
You are happy that the town of Lo Debar was captured, and you say, "We have taken Karnaim by our own strength."
The LORD God All-Powerful says,
"Israel, I will bring a nation against you that will make your people suffer from Lebo Hamath in the north to the valley south of the Dead Sea."
Quite often when I know I've been more interested in doing what I want instead of what God wants, or if I've been avoiding my responsibilities, I don't want to spend any time with God because I don't think I'll like what He has to say. So I fill my time with stuff, avoiding Him and trying to fool myself that I'm doing ok, even though He's the only one that can help me. In a similar way, the relative didn't want to mention the name of God, because he knew that the reason this calamity had happened was because of God's judgment for their sinfulness. Talking about God would risk confronting them with the way they'd been living, but they wanted to carry on following their own desires and living in their comfortable houses, pretending they've done nothing wrong.
But God promises to break down the houses into pieces. And just as the rocks could not be ploughed, the people would not be able to solve their problems by their own strength. Their acts of righteousness would be unacceptable to God as they were not done from a place of genuine humility, repentance and obedience. Doing things in their own strength would earn them nothing (Lo Debar means "nothing").
Is there any area of your life where you don't want to let God in because you know you've not been honouring him? Or are you trying to fix problem areas in your life by your own strength? Ask for God's forgiveness, invite Him in and ask for His help.
Written by Beth Keith & Dan Cooper
Amos 6 v 8-14
The Lord GOD made this promise; the LORD God All-Powerful says:
"I hate the pride of the Israelites, and I hate their strong buildings, so I will let the enemy take the city and everything in it."
At that time there might be only ten people left alive in just one house, but they will also die. When the relatives come to get the bodies to take them outside, one of them will call to the other and ask, "Are there any other dead bodies with you?"
That person will answer, "No."
Then the one who asked will say, "Hush! We must not say the name of the LORD."
The LORD has given the command; the large house will be broken into pieces, and the small house into bits.
Horses do not run on rocks, and people do not plough rocks with oxen.
But you have changed fairness into poison; you have changed what is right into a bitter taste.
You are happy that the town of Lo Debar was captured, and you say, "We have taken Karnaim by our own strength."
The LORD God All-Powerful says,
"Israel, I will bring a nation against you that will make your people suffer from Lebo Hamath in the north to the valley south of the Dead Sea."
Quite often when I know I've been more interested in doing what I want instead of what God wants, or if I've been avoiding my responsibilities, I don't want to spend any time with God because I don't think I'll like what He has to say. So I fill my time with stuff, avoiding Him and trying to fool myself that I'm doing ok, even though He's the only one that can help me. In a similar way, the relative didn't want to mention the name of God, because he knew that the reason this calamity had happened was because of God's judgment for their sinfulness. Talking about God would risk confronting them with the way they'd been living, but they wanted to carry on following their own desires and living in their comfortable houses, pretending they've done nothing wrong.
But God promises to break down the houses into pieces. And just as the rocks could not be ploughed, the people would not be able to solve their problems by their own strength. Their acts of righteousness would be unacceptable to God as they were not done from a place of genuine humility, repentance and obedience. Doing things in their own strength would earn them nothing (Lo Debar means "nothing").
Is there any area of your life where you don't want to let God in because you know you've not been honouring him? Or are you trying to fix problem areas in your life by your own strength? Ask for God's forgiveness, invite Him in and ask for His help.
Written by Beth Keith & Dan Cooper
