Southwest First Assembly of God Church

Amos 2.10-11 “I brought you up out of Egypt, and led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites. I also raised up prophets from among your sons and Nazirites from among your young men. ‘ Is this not true, people of Israel?’ declares the Lord.”

Thought of the day: What a great reminder of the greatness of God. Through Amos, God reminded the people of Israel that He was responsible for delivering them from bondage. He was the one responsible for providing their needs in the 40 years of wandering and waiting in a desert. He was the one who raised up the spiritual leaders for their nation. He was the one. He was the only ONE!

Simply stated, if God has done it before He can do it again. We can look to him for deliverance from any bondage. We can look to him for provision even when our season of waiting and wanting extends from days into weeks or months or even years. We can look to him to raise up spiritual leaders who are armed with faith and a fresh word from the Lord.

I love and respect our country and our government, but they are not the source of my hope. I feel physically strong and capable of doing whatever job comes my way, but I am not the source of my hope. I have many good and faithful friends, but (sorry friends) you are not my source of hope. My hope is in the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Let me leave you with the words of the Psalmist. “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62.1-2, 5-8)

Amos 7.1-2 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up.  When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, ‘Sovereign Lord, forgive!  How can Jacob survive?  He is so small!’

Thought of the day: One thing that strikes me about this passage is the utter sense of desperation expressed by Amos.  He knew the Jewish people would not be able to survive the coming judgment.  He knew that their hope rested in God and God alone.

Notice how Amos described God as the “Sovereign Lord”.  As Sovereign, He has no superior or equal.  He answers to no one.  Notice Amos described Jacob (Israel) as “small”.  It seems to me that there are many in our culture who would disagree with Amos.  We see God as small and act as if we are sovereign.  This philosophy is not only unfortunate, it is damnable.  Don’t wait for the threat of a catastrophe to bring you to your knees and remind you of your absolute dependence on Almighty God.  Always remember that God is bigger than us and smarter than us.  Let’s live like it.