Tues.’s Devo - God of Visions

Read: Amos 7:1-9:15; Revelation 3:7-22: Psalm 131:1-3; Provers 29:23 God gave Amos a vision where He sent locusts to devour the harvest. They ate every green plant in sight. Amos cried out to the Lord and said that Israel wouldn’t be able to survive this, so God relented. *** God gave Amos another vision where a great fire burned up the entire land. Amos cried out again that Israel was too small to survive this, so God relented. *** God then showed him another vision where the Lord was standing next to a wall with a plumb line. He was going to use it to see if the wall was still straight. He would use this plumb line on the people of Israel. They would not measure straight. God would completely destroy the dynasty of King Jeroboam because of the idolatry he led the people into. *** Bethel was the place where one of the golden calves was worshipped. The priest there was Amaziah. When he heard what Amos was saying he told Amos to take his prophecies and leave Israel. He sent him back to Judah to make his money there being a prophet. Amos told him he was not a prophet by trade but a shepherd who kept sycamore-fig trees. Then he gave him another word for the king. The Lord said that his wife would become a prostitute in this city (Bethel) and his sons and daughters would be killed. His land would be divided up and he would die as an exile in a foreign land. The people of Israel would also go into exile far away. *** Amos was given another vision. This time he was shown a basket of ripe fruit. God told him that Israel was like this basket of ripe fruit. They were ripe for punishment. Their singing would stop and many would die. *** God listed their sins: they robbed the poor and trampled down the needy. They cheated the helpless and were dishonest in their businesses. *** God would darken their day and turn their celebrations into times of mourning. They would mourn the bitterness of their lives. God would stop speaking to them and they would search everywhere for a prophet to give them news. *** Amos was shown a vision where God was standing next to the altar in the Temple. At his word, the roof of the Temple fell on the heads of the people. God would kill with the sword those who survived and no one would escape. God would not completely destroy the family of Israel but he would shake it. When the time came, God would restore the fallen house of David and repair it. He would rebuild it to its former glory. The people would return and plant vineyards and gardens. They would be firmly planted in their own land and never be uprooted again. In Revelation Joh wrote a letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. God had open a door for them that no one could close. God would show the people that belonged to Satan’s synagogue that they were liars. They said they were Jew but were not. They would be forced to bow down at their feet and acknowledge that the true Jews were the ones God loved. Because they had persevered these people, God would protect them when a greater time of testing comes upon the whole world. Those that are victorious would be be leaders in God’s kingdom and never have to leave the Temple. They will become citizens of God’s never Jerusalem that comes down from heaven. God will give them a new name. *** The next letter was written to the angel of the church of Laodicea. They were the lukewarm church. They were satisfied with what they had and weren’t wanting more of God. They didn’t know they were naked, poor and blind and in need of God. God was giving them another chance to open the door and repent. *** Lord, may we rightly discern the condition of our souls and the condition of the soul of our nation and allow your to purify us with your cleansing fire.