Amos and Jonah -- Day 2

Read Amos 3-4

Today's Devotion -- Amos 4:6-12
6 "I gave you empty stomachs in every city
and lack of bread in every town,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD.

7 "I also withheld rain from you
when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
but withheld it from another.
One field had rain;
another had none and dried up.

8 People staggered from town to town for water
but did not get enough to drink,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD.

9 "Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
I struck them with blight and mildew.
Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD.

10 "I sent plagues among you
as I did to Egypt.
I killed your young men with the sword,
along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD.

11 "I overthrew some of you
as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD.

12 "Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
and because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel." (NIV)
Taken from www.biblegateway.com

God will do what it takes to get our attention. He gave the Israelites all they could possibly need...and many things they didn't need, yet they turned away to other gods.

If we honestly look at our lives, we have received an amazing amount of blessings. Our society tends to make people think that they need 'more' -- bigger homes, better cars, more clothes, larger televisions. But if you compare us with many in the world, we are rich beyond their wildest dreams. We probably throw away more food in a day than many people see in a week. Our pets eat better than many children.

Somehow it is easier to forget about God when life is good, but we turn to him quickly in times of trouble. He wants us to live abundant lives, but we are to remember who provides all those good things. More than anything, he wants us to have a relationship with him that involves thanksgiving, worship, and time in prayer. This passage provides a warning to us that he WILL get our attention one way or another...and it makes me want to be sure to keep that relationship strong in good times and bad!