TODAY’S DAILY READING: Amos 7-9 & Proverbs 12
Old Testament: Amos 7-In The Gap
Amos 7:5-6
“Then I said: ‘O Lord God, cease, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, For he is small!’ So the Lord relented concerning this. ‘This also shall not be,’ said the Lord God.”
Amos, the shepherd-prophet, saw two consecutive visions that revealed the impending disaster looming over the nation. The first was a swarm of locust that would come just prior to harvest time. History records massive swarms of locusts in and around Israel, that had devastating affects upon the land, the people and the economy. One such incident describes a swarm so great, it devoured… Read More
Amos 8- Your are Precious
Amos 8:6
“That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals— Even sell the bad wheat?”
Because of sin, conditions in the nation of Israel had become so bad people were essentially, selling themselves to have their basic needs met. Men, women, and children were involved in deplorable acts for pennies. Amos figuratively describes a person who had sold themselves for a pair of shoes. I have often been struck by how little some people value themselves. Their self worth is so low, they will sell themselves to the first person who will give them the time of day. I think it might do us good to consider the value God places… Read More
Proverbs 12- Don”t Worry
Proverbs 12:25
“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”
Anxiety can be defined as an abnormal and overwhelming concern over the reality of a threat, and our inability to cope with it. Similar words would be care, concern, fear, nervousness or worry. Anxiety is usually accompanied by an inability to focus on other tasks, difficulty sleeping, and either no appetite or one that seems to rage out of control. Solomon observed that unchecked anxiety can lead to a much worse condition… Read More
Jim Gallagher 