But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.

Jonah 2

But you, Lord my God,

brought my life up from the pit. v6

Despite the fact that Jonah disobeyed the Lord by running away to Tarshish, the Lord nonetheless had mercy and compassion for Jonah.  He certainly could have killed him and as punishment but God of course had other plans.

God is great in how He redeems our sin for His glory.  The bible is full of stories of how God used and redeemed the sin of men for His glory - I can think of Moses and Saul (Paul) as two examples.  I have seen God redeem my sin of arrogance to bring me closer to Him.  He has brought me up from my own pit and blessed me despite me being unworthy of such blessings.  God is great indeed.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed great!  You have brought me out the pit...and You have been full of mercy, compassion, and kindness towards me.  I am not worthy of such blessing! Thank You for Your love and blessings but I sin and I seek Your forgiveness.  I need Your forgiveness for anger, lack of patience, and more!  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me so that Your heart and Your desires are my heart and my desires.  Transform my heart and my life Jesus.  I want to serve You and live a bold and daring faith - for You and Your glory!

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.

Jonah 1

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.  Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.  v3-4

Do I knowingly and purposely defy the Lord's desires for me?  I have previously and for this I will atone for ultimately. 

This story of Jonah is one that plays out in my life...I am often resistant to do what I know God wants and asks me to do.  Yet I foolishly sometimes defy his wishes thinking nothing will happen of me or that I can avoid God's call for me...foolish!

Not only can I not hide from the Lord (as posted here) but God will accomplish what He wants from me despite what I do (as posted here)!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You created everything and You are in control.  You also know what is best for me.  You make requests of me for my own good and of course Your glory.  There is no other God but You.  I need nothing else in my life but You.  Yet I have defied Your and run from You.  I know You love me anyway - thank You Jesus! - but please forgive me!  Help me deepen my love, trust, faith, and obedience in You.  Help me have a bold and daring faith knowing You are in control and it is all for Your glory and my good.

The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, Who can bring me down to the ground?

Obadiah 1

The pride of your heart has deceived you,
    you who live in the clefts of the rocks
    and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
    ‘Who can bring me down to the ground? v3

I often have pride...in many places in life: as a father, as a husband, as a man, at work etc.   I should not only be humble because God tells me to, but also because if I don't God can strike me down...and be just in His actions to do so.

Though you soar like the eagle
    and make your nest among the stars,
    from there I will bring you down,” v4.

...

 “God opposes the proud
   but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6

My Prayer: Lord, You are everything and capable of anything.  Yet during Your time on earth, You humbled Yourself...for me.  How amazing.  I am not worthy of such love yet You love me anyway.  Thank You Jesus for this love and for the countless blessings you have provided.  Please forgive me for my anger and my rage.  Rid me of this sin.  Transform my heart and my life Jesus.  Take me as Your servant.


 

New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile.

Amos 9

New wine will drip from the mountains

and flow from all the hills,

and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. v13-14

The Lord is righteous and He is just.  He punishes, but as I have posted here, His punishment is not aimless, it is intentional and for our own good.  God's goodness is seen in Amos 9 as He promises to restore Israel and never again "uproot" them.  God is also good, full of mercy, compassion, kindness, and of course wisdom.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE good, full of mercy, compassion, kindness, and wisdom.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  I sin...I hide myself from You and I neglect my relationship (training) with You.  I know You love me anyway...this is Your goodness and mercy on display.  Thank You Jesus.  But I am in need of forgiveness...please forgive me.  Help me deepen my love of You, my trust in You, my faith, in You, and my obedience in You.  Help me live a bold and daring faith Lord Jesus.

“I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 Now then, hear the word of the Lord

Amos 7

“I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. ¹⁵ But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ ¹⁶ Now then, hear the word of the Lord.  v14-16

Amos speaks to Amaziah the priest of Bethel and sends the Lord's message of warning to be relayed to Jeroboam king of Israel.  He speaks boldy, even though he sees himself as an ordinary man. 

Of course I am an ordinary man.  Yet God is no ordinary God.  He is the One and Only True God.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. ² He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ³ Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Hebrews 3:1-4

Am I willing to allow to God to work through me?  Will I submit to God and do what He asks?

My Prayer: Lord, You ARE the source and builder of everything.  Even though I am ordinary...You are extraordinary...capable of anything, anywhere, anytime.  You don't need me yet You love me...amazing!  Thank You Lord.  I am weak, impatient, complacent, and selfish.  Forgive me Lord Jesus.  Rid me of these sins.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Help me so that I can live a daring and bold faith.

Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria

Amos 6

Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,

and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria...v1

As a follow up to yesterday's post, we not only must not be in action - DOING what Jesus says we are to do - but we must not also be complacent.  I am guilty of this!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are always working and You are always working in my life.  That You love me and bless me is beyond imagination.  I am not worthy!  I am slothful and lazy...and disobedient.  I thank You that You love me anyway, but please forgive me.  Please put me in action and help me be more like You.  Transform both my heart and my life...take me as Your servant Lord Jesus.  Put me to work.

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy...

Amos 4

As I continue in the minor prophets, here in Amos I read about how not just faith, but action is what is expected of the Lord:

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria,
you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy...v1

We are to take care of each other..not just other believers (see Acts 4:32-35) but all people who are in need, including our enemies (see the Parable of the Good Samaritan).  In James, he sums it up:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25

Of course, serving the needy is just one example of how I need to act...

My Prayer: Lord, You act on my behalf all the time...even when I am not deserving.  You bless me in countless ways...what a great God You are!  I am weak...I lack trust and faith.  I worry.  Thank You that You love me Jesus, but please forgive me.  Help me grow in my trust and faith in You. 


 

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,

Joel 3

Multitudes, multitudes

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

The sun and moon will be darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.

The Lord will roar from Zion

and thunder from Jerusalem;

the earth and the heavens will tremble.

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,

a stronghold for the people of Israel. v14-16

More words from the Lord about the end of times. I must live a bold and daring faith (as encouraged by Pastor Scott on 4/21).  I must live with the end in mind.

My Prayer: Lord, You have a purpose for me and I know You have great plans for me...that You have want to use me is amazing because I know that You don't need me!  You are truly a great God full of mercy and compassion.  I am weak and I neglect You - I don't run to You daily as I should and as You COMMAND me to.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Lord Jesus...help me grow in my faith, love, trust and in my service to You. 

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved...

Joel 2

And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved; v32

My church does not talk about it often but there will be an end of times when Jesus returns.  But rest assured that God provides for His people and He will save those who call on Him.  I gain peace knowing this...peace that I can live my life knowing I am a stranger in this life...destined for eternity in Heaven...our true home. 

See also here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You provide rest and peace for Your children...and You provide so much more.  You pour out blessings like water on me and all of Your children.  We are awash in Your generosity, mercy, and kindness.  I am not worthy of such blessings....I am selfish and critical of others.  This is wrong and sinful.  Yet You love me anyway...thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me and rid me of these sin.  Transform both my heart and life Jesus.  Help me love You with all of my heart, mind and soul.

I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites.

Amos 2
 

I brought you up out of Egypt
    and led you forty years in the wilderness
    to give you the land of the Amorites. v10

Does the Lord need to remind me of what He has done for me.  Am I ever present to the rich blessings He has given me.  Do I slow down to take time to recognize all that He has done for me?

Or, do I forget or fail to acknowledge the many blessings given to me:

I brought you up out of Egypt
    and led you forty years in the wilderness
    to give you the land of the Amorites.

 “I also raised up prophets from among your children
    and Nazirites from among your youths.
Is this not true, people of Israel?”
declares the Lord.
 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine
    and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

My Prayer: Lord, You HAVE blessed me in so many ways!  There are too many to mention.  The Lord is great and He blesses me despite my sin.  His greatest blessings are His forgiveness and His death on the cross...all because He loves me.  I am weak and selfish and impatient among my many sin.  Thanks for loving me anyway but please forgive me Lord Jesus!  Help me be more like You and help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Help me lead a daring and bold faith.

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.

Joel 3

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,

a stronghold for the people of Israel. v16

The Lord judges all yet forgives all - all those who turn to Him and ask for His grace and mercy.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus...You are a great God full of compassion and mercy.  Your compassion is on display in my life every day!  I am weak, undisciplined and slotful...I would rather many times be comfortable and focus on myself than on Jesus and on others, including my own family!  How sinful!  Lord Jesus thank You that You love me anyway, but please forgive me!  Help me be more energetic.  Help me live a bold and daring faith.  Help me be more like You...mold me.  Take me I am Yours and Yours alone to serve.

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Joel 2

This is the God we have:

Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
    and he relents from sending calamity. v13

I have a God that will always welcome me back no matter what I do.  Yet if I continue to deny Him, patience is not unlimited.  I am aware of what happens to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5.

Despite what happens to Ananias and Sapphira, I focus on the God who will always welcome me back.  This is the same God from the story of the prodigal son.

My Prayer: Lord, You are a God of great mercy and compassion, indeed full of patience and slow to anger...and certainly abounding in love for me.  I am not worthy of all this as many times I fail to show faith in You and I fail to love You with all of my mind, heart, and soul.  Thank You Jesus for Your love but please forgive me!  Help me and rid me of such sin and help me deepen my love, trust, and faith in You.

The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them,but the rebellious stumble in them.

Hosea 14

The ways of the Lord are right;

the righteous walk in them,

but the rebellious stumble in them. v9

Indeed, the ways of the Lord ARE right...and they are right for me.  Yet we stumble not because of them but because of our rebelliousness.  I am of course guilty of this.  I must seek Him out daily so that I can avoid stumbling.

I led them with cords of human kindness,

with ties of love. Hosea 11:4

...

Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your ways are right and Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.  Without You I would be SO lost.  That You love me is amazing and the ways that You love me are amazing.  I am not worthy of such love - I am critical of others, selfish, arrogant, and prideful.  Thank You for Your love but please forgive me Jesus!  Help me be more like You.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Help me be more daring and bold with my faith.

Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people...

Hosea 10

Because you have depended on your own strength

and on your many warriors,

the roar of battle will rise against your people....v13-14

I am challenged when times are good to seek out Lord...not just when times are tough.

At one point here in the text, Israel turns away from God...it is when times are good and it is perhaps tempting to credit one's own efforts vs those of the Lord.

Israel was a spreading vine;

he brought forth fruit for himself.

As his fruit increased,

he built more altars;

his his land prospered,

he adorned his sacred stones.

Their heart is deceitful,

and now they must bear their guilt. v1-2

Do I do this...I don't think so and I hope not.  I am hopeful and prayerful that I both continue to seek out the Lord in bad and good times alike...and that I always credit my blessings and gifts as from the Lord alone.

Those who trust in themselves are fools Proverbs 28:26

My Prayer: Lord, You are the source of everything.  I have done nothing outside of Your power and will and I will do nothing outside of Your power and will.  You don't need me but You love me and You use me.  And You have blessed me.  I am not deserving of such love.  Thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me for my worry about school work.  Help me trust in You.  Help me also trust in You always and for all things big and small.

The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour.

Hosea 8

The stalk has no head;

it will produce no flour. v7

This metaphor that we are to yield and produce good - for the glory of God - appears elsewhere, most prominently in John:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:1-8

I need to keep Jesus in my heart and I must strive to cultivate and tend to Jesus being in my heart.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I have seen You produce great blessings in my life and in the life of those around me - how great You are!  That You do so much for me is amazing...particularly because I sin and I fall short.  Thank You that You love me anyway Jesus, but please forgive me.  Help me be more like You and Help me so that Your desires are my desires.

...but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds.

Hosea 7

...but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. v2

I often sin consciously thinking God will forgive me...He will but He will also remember and I will ultimately have to account for my sin.    What is encouraging is that while one view is that free will allows me to do anything I want and this can produce joy...but sin also produces bondage and separates me from God.  

But your iniquities have separated

you from your God;

your sins have hidden his face from you,

so that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2

...

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵ Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:34-6

My Prayer: Lord, You have freed me from sin and You love me despite my sin.  How great You are and how full of mercy and love You are.  I am not worthy of such love...yet I thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me for my harsh words and critical thoughts, my selfishness and my lack of patience for others.  Help me be more like You Jesus...help me so that Your desires are my desires.

The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites....

Hosea 3

The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites....v1

The Lord in Hosea 1 commands Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman and sure enough she commits adultery.  In Hosea 3, the Lord commands Hosea to commit to and love his wife Gomer as the Lord loves the Israelites - despite their sin.  We are to love as God loves - plain and simple.

This message is particularly relevant to me as I am a critical person and typically my first instinct is to criticize and not love.

My Prayer: Lord, even though there is much to criticize me for, You love me and You even died for me.  I am not deserving of such love.  I thank You for such love and I ask You Jesus that You forgive me for my lust, my critical nature and harsh words, and my selfishness (among just a few my sins).  Please rid me of such sin and help me be more like You.  I want Your desires to be my desires.

The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.

Daniel 11-12

The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. 11:27

Here, I see that wickedness is defeated by other wickedness and ultimately leads to a life of shame and evererlasting contempt (hell):

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 12:2.

For those who believe and who are righteous, heaven and eternal life awaits.

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 12:3

My Prayer:  Lord, You are pure, perfect and holy...and You provide both life here on earth and eternal life in heaven for those who believe in You.  What amazing gifts.  For me, I am not deserving.  I have critical thoughts and I don't encourage people with words as You desire me to.  Thank You for loving me anyway but please forgive me.  Help me rid myself of this sin.  Purify and transform my heart Lord Jesus.  Please make Your desires and thoughts my desires and thoughts.