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Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. (Amos 5:14)

In July, my family went to Galveston for a vacation. It was the first time we had been to the island since Hurricane Ike. The road along the beach was a stark reminder of the power of the storm. All along the coast we saw poles without beach cabins, and abandoned houses ripped apart by the wind. When we crossed the ferry into Galveston, there were more reminders of the storm. The hotel built over the water, gone. The shops built along the beach side of the seawall, gone. The fishing piers built of wood, gone. The relative calm of the past few decades, had led to a relaxing of hurricane preparation along the coast. When the prophet Amos preached to the people of Israel, they had relaxed their spiritual lives, and were unprepared for the coming invasion of the Assyrian army.

The people in Amos's day were enjoying prosperity. In spite of their riches, the prophet told the people loud and clear to hear the Word of the Lord. Today we need the same message. We don't need the Word of the Lord filtered by modern wisdom, or formed to contemporary culture. The wisdom of the scriptures still applies today. The Ten Commandments is still our standard. Today it is popular to live according to our own view of the Bible. What works for me, attitude has crept into many Christian’s daily lives.

The people of Israel were becoming lax and expecting God's blessings instead of living for Him. When things didn't go according to their plans, they used God as a panic button. A lot of people live their lives as if God was a big red button to push when they get into trouble. Otherwise they're content to live their lives as to how they want to. When we seek the Lord, we seek the way of life he wants us to live. It is living for him 24/7 instead of one hour a week.
God is not an adult version of Santa Claus, many Christians expect God to bless their lives no matter if they have been naughty or nice. They wave at God occasionally then live their lives how they want to. Not realizing how holy God is, and how unworthy we are to stand in His presence. It is only through the blood of Christ they we may approach God. The price Christ paid for our ransom is often forgotten in the glow of the resurrection.

God didn't save us for future use only. After we accept Christ, we should serve to help others become all they can be in Christ. We have to realize that people have different strengths as well as weaknesses. It is only through Christ they can become what God wants them to be. If they try to do it on their own, they will fail. Numerous people have become soft spiritually. They are not prepared when the storms of life come their way. But following the plan that Amos told the people of Israel, we can help others to become strong spiritually. God intends for us to listen to His Word, instead of using the Bible as a decorative piece. Pray, instead of saying vain repetition of words. Finally seek what is good. Instead of a bunker mentality that many Christians have, we can go out and spread the Good News and make a difference in our world. With God’s help, we can overcome any storms of life that come our way.

Copyright Danny Woodall