Comfort In God’s Conviction
August 25, 2021·Brian Majors
Amos 8:11
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land — not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.”
Amos prophesied at a time when the people of Israel were comfortable. King Jeroboam was over Israel (Northern Kingdom) and King Uzziah was over Judah (Southern Kingdom). There were no wars, there was peace and provision. But God warned them to not get too comfortable, because there was still injustice in the land… there was complacency, idolatry, and oppression of the poor.
Amos 6:1 reads…
Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!
The people of Israel were not complacent just to be complacent. God exposes their transgressions through the prophet, Amos. Their sin led to complacency.
First, was Idolatry: The people of Israel were giving their time, energy, devotion, and resources to false gods.
Unlike the people of Israel, we must be aware of the things that demand or consume our time, energy, devotion, or resources. On the flip side, we have to weigh the scales… does my energy, devotion, or time for God outweigh all the other things?
Second, was Oppression of the poor: It’s not just refusing to give money to someone outside the grocery store… in the Book of Amos, God commands His people to “Seek good, not evil, that you may live” (Amos 5:14). Seeking is deeper, you’re talking about willingness, intent, matters of the heart. Are we caring toward people, concerned with their situations, and motivated to be advocates?
Reading through Amos challenges me to take a second look at what is consuming my time, energy, devotion, and resources. In what areas of life have I become complacent? When other things have our devotion, energy, time, and resources, when we’re not seeking good, but evil, then that’s what leads to complacency.
That’s what Amos 8:11 shows us… the end result of sin and complacency is the removal of God’s word and presence in our lives. If Jesus is the Bread of Life and also the Word become flesh, then it’s God’s Word that gives us life. Where would we be without the words of the Lord, without God’s direction and insight, conviction, and promise?
Amos challenges us to never grow complacent/comfortable, because in that complacency/comfortability, we can lose focus, we could misjudge what’s right and wrong, we could end up off mission and ultimately stranded from God’s voice/God’s words of life. There is comfort in God’s conviction.
Family! let’s strive to be a people seeking good and not evil, always seeking God’s Word that brings life into this world and our individual lives.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Pastor Brian Majors
