Amos 1-5

Todays passage: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=amos%201-5&version=NIV

Amos was a prophet appointed to the northern kingdom during roughly the same time as Isaiah who was appointed to the southern region. Their messages were basically the same. God was angry and his justice would be universal – the Israelites would not be exempt because of their covenant with the Lord, instead, they would be held to an even higher standard.

God was angry because of their oppression of the poor and weak; obscenity; and insincere worship. These sinful actions were evidence of a nation who refused to seek the Lord. They had sunk into a life that was saturated with sin. In chapter 5, God pleaded with his children to return to Him. Although they faced destruction, it was not too late to turn back to Him.

“This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: ‘Seek me and live…’” (Amos 5:4).

Even though they were buried deep in sin, God still wanted them. He still desired for his children to seek Him and offered them life if they chose it.

That right there, stuck in the middle of the Old Testament minor prophets is the central theme of the Bible. Seek the Lord and live. He offers life. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23) just like the Israelites who had turned their back on God, and the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23) who died on the cross for our sins because God loves us (John 3:16). No matter how deeply saturated in sin we are, the gift is still there for us to take. And there is no one that is to far gone for God to transform. He wants us all, just as we are. It’s not too late. You’re not too deep. Seek Him and you will live.

Take some time to dwell on that. If you’re already a believer – Praise God for his gift and as you meet others who don’t know him, remember that there is no one who is too deep in sin to accept his gift. If you have not accepted the free gift of eternal life – surrender your life to Him. Admit to him that you are a sinner and that you want to seek Him for restoration and salvation. It’s never too late, no matter what you’ve done!

Todays post submitted by Kelly Coxe