81st Week Amos Chapters 5-9 (Clink of Title for Video Introduction)

Click on Title for Video Intro

Monday, Amos Chapter 5

 Amos Chapter 5

Verse 12b

Tanya Ruden

Verse 12b:  You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

THOUGHT (Writtten at Christmas time)

The footnotes in my Bible reference this verse about helping the poor and why God puts so much emphasis on the way we treat the poor and needy.  I liked some of what it said.  “Often how we treat the rich or those of equal standing is based on what we hope to get from them, but because the poor can give us nothing, how we treat them reflects our true character.” I really feel this statement is so true, and as I reflect, I even feel it can be true of me as well.  

You see it in the news with famous people getting milder criminal sentences. Wealthy people/companies give them things in hopes it will get them/their brand noticed. I can honestly say there have been times in my life (especially at my old job) when I would do something to be noticed or recognized by a partner or upper management of a client.  I did something with a hope for something in return. This can even apply to Christmas presents.  We give something to get something in return.

God calls us to serve and assist the needy, not make excuses of what not to do.  We should never judge helping someone or not helping someone because of what the experience might gain us in return.  Christmas brings ample opportunities to help people.  There are angel trees, Salvation Army ringers and maybe even a friend who is going through hard times this Christmas. I pray that we each feel the spirit of Christmas through our ‘true character’ of giving... giving because of the gift God gave us and not giving in hope of the return. I also pray we are never discouraged by our giving. Sometimes we feel the need is so great, and we are so immaterial.  However, every little bit helps, and it is amazing what God can do with $20 when the gift is blessed by Him.  

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, may we always give with a heart full of love not one full of alternative motives. May we enjoy Christmas and each present we give and receive. Don’t allow the devil to be involved in any of our celebrations with his greediness. May each gift be appreciated.  Help us as parents to show that attitude to our children so they may too understand the true meaning of Christmas and grow their “true Character” into what God desires it to be. AMEN

Tuesday, Amos Chapter 6

Amos 6

Tanya Ruden

THOUGHT (Written at Christmas time)

Thank God for the wise people who write the footnotes to the Bible because without them I would be at a loss today as to what to write about.  “The people had built luxurious homes to flaunt their achievement. While it is not wrong to live in comfortable houses, we must not let them become sources of inflated pride and self-glorification. God gave our homes to us, and they are to be used for service, not just for show.”

I really like this thought, especially this close to Christmas. I pray that as you decorate your tree and your home for the holidays, you do it as a form of worship to God and not to “show off” to the people who may come for various festivities to your home.  

I always have to laugh at our tree because it would never win best of show anywhere.  Most of all the ornaments are at the bottom front of the tree.  This year we had at least 15 ornaments which the girls made last year that are nothing more than a shape cut out of construction paper with a cotton ball or scribbling on them, tied with string.  Our tree is decorated as a family, and each year we unwrap the ornaments and remember who gave them to us.  

It is OK for us to have a comfortable home and a large Christmas tree, just so that we never forget who blesses us with that house each day and the reason for the tree.  May we never love these things so much we aren’t willing to lose them.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, thank You for our homes. May they always serve as a place to fill our need of shelter and a place to spend time with family and friends. Help our hearts always to be grateful for our homes, and may they never serve as a status symbol in our lives. Help us also never judge another person by the size or cleanliness of their home. I pray You are worshipped this Christmas in each of our homes. AMEN

Wednesday, Amos Chapter 7

Amos 7

Verses 5-6

Tanya Ruden

Verses 5-6:  Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop!!  How can Jacob survive? He is so small.” So the Lord relented.

THOUGHT

Answered prayed - so often we don’t ask. I don’t know why?  Do we forget? Do we think it is impossible for God to answer ‘yes’?  Oh, to have the faith of a child.  Sierra asks God for the most impossible things, but yet what a great example of faith.  Why with our age and wisdom don’t we know better?  We should know that He can work miracles even though our mind tells us it can’t be.  Here Amos cries out to the Lord after seeing a vision from God destroying the people.  Now what in his mind made him think he could change God’s mind?  But IT DID!!! What if he wouldn’t have asked? Thank God he did.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, may we always lay our petitions before You no matter what they are and no matter how much we don’t think You will answer yes?  If we don’t ask, You can’t answer.  I pray we are always honest with You no matter what. There is nothing we can’t share with You and nothing You can’t grant.  Never allow the devil and our human wisdom to get in the way of working the impossible.  We Love You, Jesus.  AMEN

Thursday, Amos Chapter 8

Amos 8

Verse 12

Jeanie Boldt

Verse 12:  Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east searching for the Word of the Lord, but they will not find it.

THOUGHT 

As the farmer cuts off the ripe fruit so God will for judgment. He had been long-suffering with His people long enough but now the day of reckoning had come. The Lord had His fill of all their sins. God was angry with them. The Lord sent an earth quake, an eclipse, a funeral and a famine. The Word of the Lord was what He took from them.  Food for their soul was nowhere around. They could not hear it or read it. So when the world became bad enough to have to look to the Lord for direction and strength, they found none for the Lord had taken their means of livelihood, the Word of God.

There was a time in my life when I would have starved without the Bible. When the Lord was carrying me, I had to have proof of His being. I needed to look Jesus in the eyes so had a picture of Him in every room, car and desk at work. I also needed to read and actually touch the Word of the Lord. I would take it everywhere and still do. I would set it in the passenger seat of the car, and when I was a little scared because of bad weather while driving or sad because I had just left one of the girls or Jane, I would touch it and squeeze it.  When I was so in need, I would just hug it in church when songs would bring tears to my eyes or heart ache, and loneliness became too hard to bare.  Yes, the Word was spiritual nourishment to me, and there could not have been a substitute. I would have starved without it.

Praise God that we are in a country where we can read the Word and study it whenever and wherever. May we never take that for granted nor complain about a chapter being too long to read and study or a book being too difficult. We don’t want our life-line taken from us.

PRAYER

Father God, I thank You for your living Word. It is a Life Line for this family and group of friends. May we never grow weary of the need. I pray that after reading it and studying it each day, we will feel completely filled up so that we can share the nourishment with others.  Help us to look for our answers there each day with our daily walks and life’s situations. I pray that we may never have to suffer this famine where the Word of the Lord cannot be read or shared with those we love. Please know how much we love and respect the inner most feelings, history, laws and truths that are contained in Your Book. Thank You for feeding us all. AMEN

Friday,  Amos Chapter 9

Amos 9

Verse 8

Jeanie Boldt

Verse 8:  Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom.  I will destroy it from the face of the earth-yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob.

THOUGHT

Isn’t our God one of Grace and Mercy?  He could have destroyed all of Israel for what they had done. However, deep in His heart the Lord wants to redeem and not punish.  This so reminds me of the story of Noah and the arch when the Lord was angry and decided to destroy all for the sin and unrighteous living that was all around. After His gift of the rainbow and the promise that all will never be destroyed again, Israel had hope. The Lord corrects and disciplines. He loves in order to correct us and make us better people. 

There were times Tanya and Heather had to have a talk with their father. They would have done anything other than have to sit down and talk to him over something that had happened that was not right.  His discipline was usually well thought out and led to a special correction and a learning moment. It is at these times when the Lord and our earthly fathers correct us, that we accept it as a sign of love. Praise God the House of Jacob was not completely  destroyed.  We love how He loves us.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we love You as one who knows ‘How To Love’.  Thank You for the parents we had that showed their love through discipline. For the mistakes, we forgive. For the guidance to Jesus Christ, the giver of peace and serenity, we thank You. Help us to hold each other and fellow Christians accountable. Help us to show others their errors along the way when needed but do it with love and forgiveness.  May we be true friends to family and may we be the best parents possible to our children. Give us guidance and direction through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In the Blood of Jesus.  AMEN