ESOCS Devotional 28 January 2024 – The Nature of God
MEMORY VERSE: “Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord.” Amos 9:8 KJV
TEXT: AMOS 9:8-15
Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord.
9 For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.
10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this.
13 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
The Jews of Amos’ time had lost sight of God’s care and love for them. They forgot His mercy upon them, and His faithfulness. But in summary, our text brought out His nature (He is just, faithful and merciful over them). It also talked of the consequences of disobedience, and God’s desire to restore His people, Israel. The following paragraphs summarized this nature of God.
God is just – He judges rightly. He hates sin and will always punish every sinful act. Israel would always want to escape or hide from His judgement, but He would always ultimately hold them accountable for their actions. Whenever punishment is necessary, He does not withhold it, in order to correct them.
He is merciful – He desires repentance and restoration. Despite the impending judgment upon Israel, He still promised to restore them and rebuild their desolate places.
He is faithful – His love and mercy are greater than His people’s sin and rebellion. He established a covenant with them through Abraham and David and would not break it.
God is still in the business of being just, merciful and faithful to all believers. It is not limited to the nation of Israel only. Like a loving father, God does not withhold correction over us but corrects us because He loves us, and remains faithful to seeing us become good children. What a wonderful nature.
- Many Christians limit the nature of God to only love while downplaying His correction.
- O Lord, search me deeply and correct me where I have gone wrong.
Further Reading: Exodus 34:6-7; Isaiah 40:28; Romans 11:33-36; Hebrews 13:8.
ESOCS Devotional 28 January 2024
