November 29 2005 Amos 3:1-11
November 29, 2005 Amos 3:1-11
Click here for the PodCast of this devotional
Amos 3:2 “You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”
When did your parents punish you? How did they choose to enforce the rules they had set in your household? As you grew up, did you ever think the rules didn’t apply any longer?
Looking back through the history of Israel and the chosen people, this seems to happen again and again. God lays down the law, and over time, the people begin to push against the laws. Like our children, when punishment wasn’t immediate, they’d push a little harder. Over years and generations, they’d move farther and farther away from God. Their faith and their religion became things of convenience. They’d become complacent in his love for them. Nothing they would do would destroy God’s promise, so they lived their lives as they chose. The Temple became just a place to go and to be seen, a place to conduct business, not a place to truly worship God. Eventually, they would stray too far, and God would say “that’s enough” and some form of punishment would be meted out.
This is what happened in Matthew 21:12-13 when Jesus cleared the temple of the money changers and those who set up businesses in the temple to profit from the worshipers. It’s easy to sense His anger in this passage; do you also feel his disappointment and frustration?
As a child, I thought that sometimes the worst punishment was not a spanking or being grounded. It was worse to recognize that I disappointed my parents; that I hurt them in some way. It was hard to face the facts, that I chose a path that would be harmful to our relationship. Do you remember how it felt when you had to face your parents and tell them you were sorry – really sorry, not just because you didn’t want to be punished, but because you recognized the wrong in what you did? But facing that truth would put me back on a path to try to repair the relationship and to do what was right. You can’t fix it if you don’t realize that it’s broke!
God, the Father, chose each of us; he promised to love and to forgive us through his Son. Are we also complacent in that love and forgiveness? Do we go to church on Sunday because it’s what we are supposed to do, or because we are truly working to deepen our personal relationship with our Lord? Do we even stop to think about our actions Monday through Saturday and realize when we overstep our bounds? Is there anything that you know you have done that has disappointed your Father? It’s hard, but we each need to face the truth when our actions and choices disappoint God; when we do not live up to his expectations. We need to accept our punishment, give a heartfelt apology to God, and then move back closer to him. He hasn’t moved; we have, and it’s up to us to move back home.
O Lord, help us today to reflect on our actions and truly see how far we have moved away from you. Help each of us to understand how we have disappointed you. Lord, please forgive these bad choices we make. Help us to make right choices and to reclaim homes in your kingdom. Amen.
Contributed by Cristy Wheeler
Click here for the PodCast of this devotional
Amos 3:2 “You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”
When did your parents punish you? How did they choose to enforce the rules they had set in your household? As you grew up, did you ever think the rules didn’t apply any longer?
Looking back through the history of Israel and the chosen people, this seems to happen again and again. God lays down the law, and over time, the people begin to push against the laws. Like our children, when punishment wasn’t immediate, they’d push a little harder. Over years and generations, they’d move farther and farther away from God. Their faith and their religion became things of convenience. They’d become complacent in his love for them. Nothing they would do would destroy God’s promise, so they lived their lives as they chose. The Temple became just a place to go and to be seen, a place to conduct business, not a place to truly worship God. Eventually, they would stray too far, and God would say “that’s enough” and some form of punishment would be meted out.
This is what happened in Matthew 21:12-13 when Jesus cleared the temple of the money changers and those who set up businesses in the temple to profit from the worshipers. It’s easy to sense His anger in this passage; do you also feel his disappointment and frustration?
As a child, I thought that sometimes the worst punishment was not a spanking or being grounded. It was worse to recognize that I disappointed my parents; that I hurt them in some way. It was hard to face the facts, that I chose a path that would be harmful to our relationship. Do you remember how it felt when you had to face your parents and tell them you were sorry – really sorry, not just because you didn’t want to be punished, but because you recognized the wrong in what you did? But facing that truth would put me back on a path to try to repair the relationship and to do what was right. You can’t fix it if you don’t realize that it’s broke!
God, the Father, chose each of us; he promised to love and to forgive us through his Son. Are we also complacent in that love and forgiveness? Do we go to church on Sunday because it’s what we are supposed to do, or because we are truly working to deepen our personal relationship with our Lord? Do we even stop to think about our actions Monday through Saturday and realize when we overstep our bounds? Is there anything that you know you have done that has disappointed your Father? It’s hard, but we each need to face the truth when our actions and choices disappoint God; when we do not live up to his expectations. We need to accept our punishment, give a heartfelt apology to God, and then move back closer to him. He hasn’t moved; we have, and it’s up to us to move back home.
O Lord, help us today to reflect on our actions and truly see how far we have moved away from you. Help each of us to understand how we have disappointed you. Lord, please forgive these bad choices we make. Help us to make right choices and to reclaim homes in your kingdom. Amen.
Contributed by Cristy Wheeler
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