Amos was an unlikely prophet. Take a look at the first reading today and you’ll see what I mean. He was, like most all the prophets, quite unpopular, too. More in a moment. In our Gospel reading today from Matthew 9, Jesus heals a paralytic. But before He has him pick up his mat and walk away, He says to him, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus here was showing His authority over not only the physical, but the spiritual as well.
Amos’ message was not well received. He prophesied that Jeroboam, the king of Israel, would die by the sword and that Israel would surely go into exile. This was tantamount to treason. So Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, tells him to get out of his town. So Amos says, in essence, Hey, I never asked for this gig in the first place. But since God has told me to prophesy, here’s the deal! And he drops a nice little bombshell on them.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could all determine our own path in life? Perhaps you've tried to do that, and then discovered that God had a different plan. I suspect this was the case with Amos. We must always be open to the Holy Spirit, to God's plan for our lives. Sometimes it may be way different that where we thought we should go.
Father, may we always be open to whatever your plan for our life is. Help us to be obedient to go wherever you send us. Amen.
I have learned so much about Scripture from you! Every day is a gift to us as you unpack the messages and facts we might not know. Keep up the good work. You are a blessing to us!