Devotion VIDEO here
The
lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but
prophesy? Amos 3:8(NLT)
Amos
had the unenviable task of strolling into Jerusalem with bad news. Jerusalem, that holy city of God, the place
of King David, and the center of the universe for the rule of God, had sinned
by forgetting the God they had been called to serve.
And
Amos was but a simple man, a shepherd from the tiny village of Tekoa. A southern boy called to speak the Word of
God to the rulers of the temple in Jerusalem.
Who among
my Methodist colleagues would covet that appointment?
Amos
was not alone; Jeremiah, Noah, Nahum, Elijah, Elisha, and the list goes
on! And, now that we’re in Advent
season, the name of the Baptist, John, the cousin of Jesus, will come into full
view as he prepares the way of the Lord.
All
those prophets were charged with announcing God’s Word and will.
It’s
called prophesying – preaching – sermon – standing in the gap…and, by a hundred
other titles it is the same thing: putting
God’s people in remembrance that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is holy, loving, fearful, judging,
forgiving, creating, sustaining, life-giving, cross-bearing, people saving, and
the all-consuming LORD of his universe!
He
is God!
When
THAT
lion roars, who can but tremble. And,
for a preacher, you must speak what He has put in your mouth.
It’s
not hard to lose focus – to forget that God is in charge, especially in a week
when there has not been a day that passed without another killing or more news
on the terrorists.
We
are in an extraordinary time when life is being treated as if it has no value
whatever. From cradle to senior life is
tossed towards the dumpster, and the Lord Who gives life cannot be pleased.
News
cycles run their course, and I have to remind myself to not dwell before the
altar of CNN or NBC nightly news. To do
so mounts an accumulative depressive toll on this old man’s already tired
brain.
God,
in His mercy, helped me develop a quiet spirit for the mornings that mitigates
against the fear and hopelessness that is our “news of the world”. Every morning I begin with God’s Word, asking
the Father to enlighten (and sometimes just lighten) my mind and heart and
soul.
This
morning I read from The Revelation:
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to
receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
And they sang a new song with
these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered,
and your blood has ransomed people for God from
every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to
become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.” And then I heard every
creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and
power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and
ever.” Revelation 4:11,
5:9-10, 13(NLT)
God’s
created beings have been killing each other since Cain picked up the first
loaded rock.
It
will continue for a season – just as long as God permits.
For You Today
Let
us never lose sight of the angels praise in heaven to the One Who is worthy of blessing
and honor and glory and power…though it seems the heavens are
silent and the Prince of Darkness is having his way…when next The
Lion roars from His throne, all preaching and men’s power will
cease. In its place will be trembling,
judgment and salvation; it will be the Day of the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment