True Riches
Read: Amos 5:11-15 Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. (v. 11) According to the Wall Street Journal, the collective wealth […]
Privileged Status
Read: Amos 3:1-10 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel. (v. 1) American Express coined the slogan, “Membership has its privileges.” This implies that members enjoy certain benefits non-members cannot enjoy. Belonging to this group has advantages. In a way, this is how the Israelites viewed their relationship […]
It’s Not Fair!
Read: Joel 2:28-32 . . . everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. (v. 32) In our world, we value fairness. It seems fair to us when bad people suffer, and good people prosper. We can even make ourselves the judge and jury, declaring in our hearts and minds who […]
A New Day
Read: Joel 2:18-27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. (v. 27) One of the scariest experiences I’ve had was lying in bed as a hurricane raged outside our home all night. Surprisingly, when I opened our front […]
True Repentance
Read: Joel 2:12-17 Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (v. 13) Have you ever said you were sorry but didn’t really mean it? My parents would often make me […]
Pass it On
Read: Joel 1:1-4 Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation. (v. 3) My father loves to share stories from his younger days. Sometimes the stories are funny, but many times they have a bigger message. Hearing his experiences often teaches me something that can […]
Three Strikes
Read: Hosea 11:8-11 How can I give you up, O Ephraim? . . . for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. (vv. 8-9) “Three strikes and you’re out!” While this rule applies to baseball, this principal also applies to our world […]
Short-Term Memory
Read: Hosea 11:1-7 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. (v. 3) It is often a parent’s joy to help their children as they grow—to teach them to walk, to pick them up when they fall, and […]
Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
Read: Hosea 6:4-6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (v. 6) I love bookstores. I enjoy wandering the aisles, perusing book covers in search of one that looks like it would be a great story. Unfortunately, sometimes I find that while the cover was appealing, […]