READ/HEAR: Amos 8,9

To Amos was given God’s promise to restore His blessing to His people. [Amos 9:11,12] Through Christ the descendants of Edom ( Gentiles who are called by My name ) will be included in the Lord’s restoration effort. David’s tabernacle, the place where he had communion with the Lord), will be restored.  James, the leader of the New Testament church in Jerusalem, gave the meaning of this verse in Acts 15 when he said, “The rest of mankind [will] seek the Lord— even all the Gentiles who are called by my name.”

We are drawn by God’s Spirit into a worship and intimate relationship with Him that is like what David had. That’s one big reason why the Psalms resonate with the Christian as a script for daily devotion. We actually use David’s words to express our love and praise to God.

Amos spoke of it nearly 800 years before Christ was born.

READ/HEAR: Amos 5-7

LSU pursued a football trophy. Money managers pursue profitable stock picks. Hackers pursue private technology information. Gym rats pursue a healthy, beautiful body. Hungry babies pursue mother’s milk. TV networks pursue ratings. Cops pursue bad guys. Most people have a constant pursuit in life.

As Amos delivered his message to the people of Judah, the southern kingdom, he identified a noble pursuit … GOOD. In verse 15 of chapter 5, he espouses hating evil and loving, pursuing what’s good and right.

When we wake up each morning we set the tone for our day. Establishing the quest for what’s good and right pleases the Lord. Putting Christ first in every decision will aptly fulfill this goal. As the Psalmist said, “Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your Name’s sake.”

Pursue GOOD today.

READ/HEAR: Joel 3; Amos 1-4

God used Amos to indict different people groups and city-states that sinned against him. That was his job as an Old Testament prophet. God obviously watches behavior and deals with them accordingly.

Current events reveal people-group tendencies, but we are not in a position to judge them. Only God can do that. We are to pray and evangelize, fulfilling The Great Commission.

Jesus instructed us to pray for our enemies and do good to them. We are conduits of His love and His Gospel, not His judgement or His vengeance.

READ/HEAR: Joel 1,2

Joel’s message to Judah was, “God has devastated the land because of our sin. We now need to seek Him to survive. God tells us, ‘Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins.'”

God wanted repentance from the heart, not religious flagellation to show outward compliance. This is what He always wants … a work from the inside out.

When and because there is true repentance, the promise of God’s Holy Spirit to come and bring refreshing and new birth is available. Peter quoted Joel when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jerusalem in Acts 2. That visitation has changed the world and marked the beginning of the New Testament church.

Amazing things happen when we repent and seek God.

READ/HEAR: Hos. 11-14

What decent father doesn’t want his wayward children to straighten out and  return to what’s right, return to the family values, return to a place of fellowship and acceptance with the family? How much more does our Heavenly Father desire to see His rebels return to their faith and place in His Kingdom.

Hosea’s message in chapter 14 was for Ephraim’s misfits to return to the Lord and receive His forgiveness and healing. He promised to receive and restore them when they found out that all other sources of security were ineffective.

We find God’s acceptance in Christ Jesus. His arms are always open, beckoning the lost to come to Him for everything they need.

For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:  [Is. 30:15]

READ/HEAR: Hosea 5-10

Hosea’s message was to the northern tribes of Israel. He dealt with them while Isaiah was pleading with Judah to the south. His writing describes the many sins and the rebellious nature of this people who were like an unfaithful wife.

Consistent with the nature of God, he issues a plea for revival so this people group can get back on track with God. It forcefully comes in chapter ten where he pleads, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap faithful love; break up your unplanted ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you.”

Little did he know we would read these words in 2020. Can they be applied? Most assuredly!

It’s TIME.

READ/HEAR: Hosea 1-4

God told Hosea to marry the harlot Gomer, an unfaithful woman. God loves us and will marry us (the marriage supper of the Lamb [Rev. 19:9]). We, like Gomer, are unfaithful. None of us deserves the goodness and love of the Lord, but He does it anyway.

We learn from God’s example to love the unfaithful and unlovely. The same love He shows us, we are to show to our world. They don’t deserve it and neither do we. Yet, while we were still in our sin, God so loved us that He sent Christ to die for us and take away our sin. [Rom. 5:8]

READ/HEAR: Dan. 10-12

To Daniel was shown the events of the end times. At the conclusion of his visitation his instructions were, “Go about your business without fretting or worrying. Relax. When it’s all over, you will be on your feet to receive your reward.”

He had just been shown great battles, indescribable horrors, and cataclysmic events. Yet, the angel’s instructions were “Be faithful to the end. Then you will die, but you will rise to receive your reward at the end of time.”

READ/HEAR: Dan. 9

Daniel concluded that God’s compassion was Israel’s only hope for the future. After God had revealed to him events to come, he was greatly distressed by the continual sin and rebellion of God’s people and how it had caused them (70 years prior) to be taken away captive to Babylon.

Isn’t this the continual cycle of life? We find ourselves in a pickle because of the way we always resort to our own solutions for life’s problems.  We call upon God as a last resort when we’ve made a complete mess of things.

God’s Spirit comes to us and reveals Christ’s compassion and forgiveness. We confess our sins and find His comfort. He adjusts our vision and we finally take some solid steps to healing and victory.

“Come unto Me, you who need to recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”  Matt. 11:28-30

REMEMBER! This daily blog that I publish is intended to stimulate YOU to put God’s Word and presence FIRST every day of your life. It’s not designed to cause you to depend upon me for anything. My desire is to see you seek God for yourself. Jesus will NOT disappoint you!

READ/HEAR: Dan. 7,8

Daniel had dreams and looks into the end times that troubled him. When we read chapter 7 and 8, we know why. His writings constitute a major portion of scripture essential to eschatology (theology concerning the final events of history).

The key for the contemporary Christian is to rest in the Lord’s peace and comfort. We have so many promises from the Word that God will protect and preserve His saints from all danger, regardless of what happens around us.