resolute

covered in the dust of the Rabbi

I am reading in Amos. It is kind of  a hard book to read. The Isrealites have wandered far from God and He is angry. I think I assume that because God loves us He is always nice and conciliatory. Yet, He holds us accountable.  Even as I read through this book and see His anger, I see His grace, His mercy and His love. His mercy flows as He gives warnings. As creator of the universe He has all rights and we have none. But as a loving Father, He warns and warns and accepts us when we are stained with sin and cleans us up. We are prisoners and He wants to free us. Our smell and dirt do not turn Him away so long as our heart desires to be clean.

 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart
   you, God, will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

 Last night, I was in bed reading this passage from Amos 8

^4-6Listen to this, you who walk all over the weak,
   you who treat poor people as less than nothing,
Who say, "When's my next paycheck coming
   so I can go out and live it up?
How long till the weekend
   when I can go out and have a good time?"
Who give little and take much,
   and never do an honest day's work.
You exploit the poor, using them—
   and then, when they're used up, you discard them.

 ^7-8God swears against the arrogance of Jacob:
   "I'm keeping track of their every last sin."
God's oath will shake earth's foundations,
   dissolve the whole world into tears.
God's oath will sweep in like a river that rises,
   flooding houses and lands,
And then recedes,
   leaving behind a sea of mud.

 ^9-10"On Judgment Day, watch out!"
   These are the words of God, my Master.
"I'll turn off the sun at noon.
   In the middle of the day the earth will go black.
I'll turn your parties into funerals
   and make every song you sing a dirge.
Everyone will walk around in rags,
   with sunken eyes and bald heads.
Think of the worst that could happen
   —your only son, say, murdered.
That's a hint of Judgment Day
   —that and much more.

and I was thinking about how thankful I am that God has redeemed me and will clean my heart after so many times of disobedience, pride, sin, going my own way...I was thinking how much I want to please God and how I often choose the wrong way. Then I was struck by a thought, how often I spend time with God thinking only of myself, my redemption, my problems, my sorrows, my wants and needs, and how little time I pray for others or think about those who go to bed each night suffering, how many have no idea that God loves them. It hurt that I think so infrequently about others. My redemption, fine, but so many have yet to hear that there is hope. There is no need for loneliness. Our greatest problem, separation from God, has been solved. The gap has been bridged. And many don't know. The gift of salvation, freely given to all. With my eyes constantly on  myself, how can I show love to others? A love that will point them to the source of all love, all goodness and righteousness, God. We are all prisoners to sin, chained by our own doing and desiring freedom.

 Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Hebrews 13:1-3