Mon.’s Devo - Philadelphia and Laodicea

Read: Amos 7:2-9:25; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 29:23 God showed Amos what he was planning for Israel. He saw a plague of locusts so devastating that no one would survive it. Amos begged the Lord not to send them. God relented. Next, God showed him a fire so consuming, none would survive. Amos prayed again that God would not send the fire. God relented again. So God showed Amos a plumb line and told him that he would measure each man by this. God would not ignore their sins any longer and he would destroy their pagan shrines and his temple. Amaziah, the priest at Bethel sent a message to king Jeroboam that Amos was plotting against him saying that he would be soon killed and the people sent away to exile. He tried to send Amos back to Judah but Amos refused to leave. Amos told Amaziah that his own wife would become a prostitute in Samaria and his sons and daughters would all be killed. The land of Israel would be divided up and he would be sent into exile. God showed Amos another vision of a basket filled with ripe fruit. Israel was like the ripe fruit only they were ripe for punishment. Their sins were listed and were great. God would bring a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People would search but not be able to find a prophet. Amos’ last vision was of the Lord standing beside his altar. God ordered the fall of the Temple, but he would not completely destroy the family of Israel They would be greatly shaken but restored one day from their ruined state. They would be once again planted in their land to thrive and live to honor him. John wrote a letter to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia. To that church period God was revealing that he was holy and true and he could open doors and close them. The church in Philadelphia was weak but they obeyed God’s word. God would force the false Jews to come and bow at their feet and acknowledge that they were the real Jews. They would be saved from the great tribulation that would come on the earth. They will become citizens of God’s new city, the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven in the end. God will also give them a new name. The letter to the church of Laodicea came from the one who is the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation. This church represented the luke-warm people that God would spit out of his mouth. They were physically rich but spiritually bankrupt. God encouraged them to value his wisdom and righteousness over worldly wealth. God told them to be diligent and turn from their indifference. God was standing at the door of their heart knocking but they had to open the door and let him in. Lord, may we humble ourselves before you and acknowledge that you are our God and our only hope for salvation. You hold wisdom in your hand and you command the nations and set them up the way you want them to stand. May you have mercy on your people all over the world and give them hope to hold on. We are living for eternity.