Amos 1-4

We got to start a new book tonight. By the close-her-eyes-and-point method, Molly found the book of Amos. This book consists of the visions of a herdsman who lived during the time of king Uziah (that's when Isaiah lived as well). It is stated that this takes place 2 years before the earthquake. Knowing what earthquake would certainly put the historical context in place on these readings, but it is another example of how the different books of the old testament are somewhat historical in context. we typically think of the bible as a book we get readings from in church, but it is becoming more and more clear that it is a history of the chosen people. This is where reading it out of order can get a little confusing.

This is a shorter book and is one of the one's we frequently don't hear much about....at least we hadn't. It begins with a series of nations that God will burn the palaces of for their transgressions, eventually getting to Israel. God makes it known that Israel has ad its fair share of problems. God even points out both the good and bad ways he has made his presence known to the Israelites, but they have continued to sin.

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to go through life if God pointed out what were his signs and what weren't? you would think that a sign from god would be obvious, but even his chosen people failed to see them. Why? Probably because like us, they were too distracted by their everyday lives to notice the bigger picture. We have mentioned in previous posts the issues of distraction, but I think it really is distraction that keeps us from realizing our potential with God. We spend our entire life looking for signs from God to let us know we are doing the right thing, but unfortunately most of us don't get a burning bush on a mountain to explain the details. We must be observant in our lives. We must pay attention to those around us. Most of the time, a sign from God may be as simple as a red light when we are in a hurry to get to work in the morning. Perhaps this is God telling us not to be in such a hurry, or perhaps he is telling us that we need to get up earlier so that we can take our time. God influences our lives everyday and we don't realize it. Perhaps if we would just put the smart phone down and take a break to reflect on our day, we might realize his actions at work in our daily lives.