Read | Amos 6
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
and to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria—
the notable people in this first of the nations,
those the house of Israel comes to.
Cross over to Calneh and see;
go from there to great Hamath;
then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
Are you better than these kingdoms?
Is their territory larger than yours?
You dismiss any thought of the evil day
and bring in a reign of violence.
They lie on beds inlaid with ivory,
sprawled out on their couches,
and dine on lambs from the flock
and calves from the stall.
They improvise songs to the sound of the harp
and invent their own musical instruments like David.
They drink wine by the bowlful
and anoint themselves with the finest oils
but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Therefore, they will now go into exile
as the first of the captives,
and the feasting of those who sprawl out
will come to an end.The Lord GOD has sworn by himself—this is the declaration of the LORD, the God of Armies:
I loathe Jacob’s pride
and hate his citadels,
so I will hand over the city and everything in it.And if there are ten men left in one house, they will die. A close relative and burner will remove his corpse from the house. He will call to someone in the inner recesses of the house, “Any more with you?”
That person will reply, “None.”
Then he will say, “Silence, because the LORD’s name must not be invoked.”
For the LORD commands:The large house will be smashed to pieces,
and the small house to rubble.
Do horses gallop on the cliffs?
Does anyone plow there with oxen?
Yet you have turned justice into poison
and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—
you who rejoice over Lo-debar
and say, “Didn’t we capture Karnaim
for ourselves by our own strength?”
But look, I am raising up a nation
against you, house of Israel—this is the declaration of the Lord,
the GOD of Armies—and they will oppress you
from the entrance of Hamath
to the Brook of the Arabah.
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Where have comfort, ease, pleasure, or self-protection made you spiritually dull and unconcerned about the things that grieve God?
In what ways have you insulated yourself from the pain, injustice, or spiritual need around you while continuing to assume all is well between you and God?
Focus
Ask God to prepare you for greater honesty with another believer. Confess not only what is obvious and public, but also the repeated sins you are most tempted to hide: comfort, self-protection, image management, bitterness, envy, lust, greed, and indifference to others.
Pray
Ask God for courage to confess hidden sins to another believer and receive prayer. Pray especially against secrecy and shame.
Going Deeper
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