Friday, August 17: Amos 2 - Correct balance .

Throughout this chapter and the last, God has been levying His punishments on various nations. God seems so harsh, so mean. I hear people say often, “Where is the love?” We want ‘love’, by which they generally mean ‘we want to get away with breaking God’s laws. We don’t want to be punished.’

As I read the judgment on Israel, I noticed some balance providing verses. "I brought you up out of Egypt, and I led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites. I also raised up prophets from among your sons and Nazirites from among your young men. Is this not true, people of Israel?" declares the LORD. "But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy (10-12).

Yes, God is pouring out punishment on Israel but this is not some whimsical ‘I’m mad so you are going to get it’ over-reaction. Those verses remind the people (and us) what God has done for Israel.

First God saved them from an enemy in Egypt. Then, after giving Israel the ‘family rules,’ God sent many prophets to remind Israel of the ‘family rules’, when they forgot them, strayed from them and even turned their backs on them.

Think of it this way, a lawbreaker gets caught and stands before a judge who says, “Okay, first offense, don’t do it again.” Then the judge lets the perp go. Fast forward… 2^nd time, 3^rd time, 4^th, 5^th … how many times does a person get to stand before the judge and receive a warning and a reminder before the judge throws the book at him/her?

God has reminded and reminded and reminded Israel and they have continued to disregard God’s warnings and invitations to stop and ‘return home.’

None of us would have been as patient as God was…

Balance… my wife who works with parents and children sums up parenting with two concepts: unconditional love and appropriate limits –love & limits.

God is loving, but real love has limits!  Don’t ever forget this.

Lord, thank You that Your mercy runs deep. I am sorry that I try Your patience so often.  Please transform me to be more and more like You. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen