KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Chapters: Amos 7-9
Message: The Blessings Of Trials
Hello My Friend,
Those who receive Christ as their Saviour truly have no idea how blessed they are, I admit that even can forget the blessings in my life when facing trials in life, forgetting that even the trials are blessings. Yes, everything we go through, from the good, to the bad, to the down right ugly, is a blessing from God. In fact, the more you are afflicted, you can be sure that you are going to be blessed.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:3-10.
As Christians, I know we all do it, we find ourselves being tested and tried and start pinpointing all the things we have done to see what sin we committed for what is going on. The truth is, much of what is going on has nothing to do with us, we are just reaping the fruit of a fallen nation. Does it seem fair? No, but remember when you were a child and sometimes got in trouble for something you did not do? It made up for the times you did do something and got away with it. The Northern Kingdom of Israel prided themselves on the empire they built under their false gods, and no matter what God tried to do to get them to turn back to Him, they refused. God would have destroyed the entire nation if it were not for Amos, and I imagine a few others who may have been pleading for God to have mercy on them.
“Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part. Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD. Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” – Amos 7:4-9.
“I will not again pass by them any more:” If you ever wondered why, once godly and prosperous nations start to deteriorate and never seem to recover it is because God has turned His back on them. By the mercies of God He will not utterly destroy a nation that has His people in it, but He will do after those who cause it to fall, and that is why we find ourselves tested and tried. God will never turn His back on His faithful, no matter what nation they are in, we just have to endure the chastening of a falling nation.
“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” – I Peter 4:14-16.
Count it a great blessing that we are in the midst of a nation that still knows God, there will come a time when people are going to be so desperate that they will seek to hear from God, but He will not be found. God speaks of this time, a time when people will wander the world in search of His Word, but not be able to find it.
“The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.” – Amos 8:7-8,11-12.
“but of hearing the words of the LORD:” What a day it will be why we do not have God’s Word in our hands or sight, and no matter where we look we cannot find it? You know, God spent four hundred years in silence until He spoke to John the Baptist, but even then He sent His angels to watch over His people. As we fast approach a time when God’s Word will be hidden the time is now to reach as many as we can with the Gospel before we are not allowed to speak it anymore.
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” – Romans 10:14-15.
Many people call themselves Christians, yet are far from being close to one. Now, we all come short of the glory of God, but these are people who have no regard for what Christ has done for them or for God’s Word. They are saved, continue living in sin, and try to conform to the world instead of Christ. Through Amos, God tells the Jews that He has always been watching them, knows their sin and is going to destroy Israel, but not all of it.
“And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them: Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.” – Amos 9:3,8-10.
“All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword,” They Jews have the mentality to think that they can hide their sins, do whatever they please, and get away with it because they are God’s chosen. Christians have that same mentality, only they believe their salvation justifies their behavior. A lot of people misread God’s Word when He says that all of Israel will be restored. What God means by this is that the nation of Israel itself will be restored, no matter what race you are born into, the only way we get to heaven and God is through Jesus Christ.
“Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;” – Romans 2:9-12.
Today’s Prayer: God, As we embrace the cross of Calvary and apply Christ’s redemptive blood to our hearts we find the newness of life. What great liberty and joy to know that our names are written down in heaven. Thank You for raising Christ from the dead so that we can be redeemed and walk in newness of life! Lord, as we get closer to Your return, give us Your power, wisdom, and guidance to endure the chastening of our nations. Put Your hedge around us and protect us for those who are intent on going against You, and give us the boldness we need to preach the Gospel during a time that wants nothing to do with Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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