Amos 7:7-15 (NRSV)
Read Amos 7:7-15 on biblegateway.com
Verse 7This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. Verse 8And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; Verse 9the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."
Verse 10Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. Verse 11For thus Amos has said, 'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.'" Verse 12And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; Verse 13but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." Verse 14Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, Verse 15and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'
Devotion
This week’s readings emphasize listening carefully for God, who calls us to speak God’s messages boldly and lovingly. Today, we read that Amos spoke God’s prophetic message. But he resisted the label of “prophet.” He said, “I am no prophet . . . I am a herdsman” (v. 14). Like Amos, some of us may say, “I am no prophet. I am a [fill in the blank].” We might ask God, “Who? Me? You want me to prophesy?!” However, just as God told Amos, “Go prophesy to my people” (v. 15), God calls each of us to share prophecies with our neighbors. Although “prophesy” can seem like a daunting word, it simply means to communicate messages of warning or hope about future events. We certainly can proclaim the message that everyone—all of us—will receive abundant grace when we seek God’s forgiveness. That’s a life-changing prophecy we should share!
Prayer
O God, when you call us, grant us the courage to prophesy whatever message you ask us to give. Help us to share your loving words with whomever you send us to speak. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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