SWHW Two Year Bible Reading Plan: February, Year 2预览

Top Takeaway from Liz Patton:

“Yet you have not returned to Me.”  

You probably noticed, like I did, that God says, “Yet you have not returned to Me” repeatedly in the 4th chapter of Amos.  In fact, He says it to the Israelites five times.  FIVE TIMES.  His children were living in sin, and God was trying desperately to bring them back to Him.

God’s heart is for His children.  He is a good Father who delights in giving His kids good gifts.  Which is why He gave them several warnings so they could get their act together.  Some of these warnings were even pretty drastic:  famine, drought, crop devastation, plagues, warfare--all in an effort to get their attention and bring them to repentance.

“Yet you have not returned to me.”

It hurts my heart that God was willing to go to such drastic measures to get Israel’s attention, yet they continued to live in their sin.  And it makes me wonder what in my life have I maybe missed that He has tried to use to wake me up?

Sisters, the reality is that each one of us must prepare to meet God, either as our good and loving Father or as our righteous Judge (Hebrews 10:31, Revelation 20:15).

Yes, we are going to mess up.  But let’s be quick to repent and turn our hearts and our faces back to the Lord. 

“For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains,

    stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind.

He turns the light of dawn into darkness

    and treads on the heights of the earth.

    The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies is his name!” (Amos 4:13)

Dear God, I am such a sinner saved only by Your amazing grace.  Please forgive me for the times when I have not been quick to return to You.  Let this passage of Scripture today shake us up!  We want to know You as our good and loving Father when it is our time to meet You, not as our righteous Judge.  We turn our hearts and our faces to You today.  We love You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.