Saturday, December 7, 2013

Debbie Patterson
Prayer Tree Ministry Leader, Daughters of the King Ministry Leader

Norma Patterson
Daughters of the King

Listen to this Devotional.

Amos 5:18-27

18 Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!
   Why do you want the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, not light;
19 as if someone fled from a lion,
   and was met by a bear;
or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,
   and was bitten by a snake.
20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
   and gloom with no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your festivals,
   and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings,
   I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
   I will not look upon.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
   I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
   and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25 Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
26You shall take up Sakkuth your king, and Kaiwan your star-god, your images* that you made for yourselves; 27therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

Devotional

The Israelites thought they were doing the right things by offering sacrifices and singing songs to God. However, Amos told them all that was wrong – they were not following the true way of God. Amos told them that the ‘day of the Lord’ would mean the opposite of what they expected and they would not like it. God did not like the way that the Israelites made sacrifices and he hated their worship of idols. They had separated their worship from their private lives.

God wants us to be humble and sincere in our worship; he wants us to devote ourselves to Him and serving others. At this time of year, we tend to get caught up in the images of the season and forget who we really worship. As we prepare for Advent, let our words and actions always reflect our deep, abiding faith in God.

Additional Readings

Psalm 20; Jude 17-25; Matt. 22:15-22