Amos 4:1-6:14, Revelation 2:18-3:6, Psalm 130:1-8, Proverbs 29:21-22
Pray: Close your eyes and take a moment to imagine walking up to the old city Jerusalem to where the temple of the Lord is. Your eyes fixed upon the city up on the hill. This pilgrimage is paired with song as you ascend. Read the couple verses of Psalm 130 aloud as your song and prayer to begin your time with the Lord today.
Read: As you read through Amos and Revelation, what is it that the Lord is after? What does He want from His people?
Edify: The Lord desires to show mercy to repentant hearts, disciplines out of love, yet He is within His rights to bring judgment at the proper time. Amos delivers a striking message from the Lord for those who have forgotten the Lord, gotten drunk on their own privilege, and cared nothing for those who are vulnerable and in need. Israel was unfaithful spiritually yet still used practices such as giving offerings to the Lord as ways to increase their status before one another. But yet the Lord calls His people to “Come back to me and live!” (Amos 5:4b). Repent from what is evil and enter into the peace of the Lord is the echo of both John (Revelation) and Amos.
Practice: Take one step to serve, spend time with, or give to the poor this week. This is “pure religion” as James says. This is the biblical vision of justice. We are to love our weak, vulnerable, and poor neighbors as we would love and look out for ourselves.
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