Return

You were as a brand plucked from the burning; yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. (Amos 4:11)

Amos 4:1-11, 6:1; Isa 30:15; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:8; Matt. 22:37-39; Rom. 13:10

What Is God Saying?

As a shepherd, Amos worked to shelter the sheep from harm, but God had other plans for his courageous heart and clear vis10n. He became one of God’s faithful prophets. He used plain language to convey the truth to people who had complicated their lives with mixed motives and greed. He prophesied first to the Northern Kingdom, the nations of Syria, Philistia, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and even his own land of Judea. One can imagine Israel responding favorably to his wounding stabs at these rival nations. But when, suddenly, Amos turned the spotlight on Israel, their enthusiasm evaporated. Israel needed to know that it could not live in luxury while those in poverty were forgotten or exploited. There were five narrow escapes: hunger, drought, crop failures, pestilence, and urban disasters (4:6, 8, 9, 100, 11). After each comes the sad conclusion, "You did not return to me."

How Does This Apply To Us?

We all turn onto the wrong paths, but it is not God's will that we continue on them. They usually pull us away from the simple life of love and duty. We should all remember that a gracious and patient God wants our return for our good. It is God's loving concern that calls us back to the fountain of true life, to the source of true joy, to the springs of true liberty, and to that peace which is far above anything the world can give. And returning to God has to do with living in right relationships with others. Loving God and loving our neighbors are the two essential parts of the great commandment (Matt. 22:37-39).

Pray With Me

Merciful Lord, the indictment is clear. I cannot avoid it. All excuses die on my lips. I must be honest. Nothing less will do. Having experienced the love of your chastening and the power of your deliverance, I have allowed pride to keep me from returning to you, my heart's true home, my soul's true rest. "Yet you did not return to me, says the Lord," echoes Amos. Nor has the discipline of personal trial nor the deliverance of your intervening love served to bring me fully back. When my inmost being is laid bare before the light of our justice, I know I need to return. When the clamoring of competing voices is stilled, I know I want to return. The outstretched arms of my Redeemer offer his grace to the wounded, and his love to the lost-I know that I may return. Spirit of love and truth, so move upon me that I may not only know I need to return and want to return and may return, but that in truth I shall return. Then your love will not be in vain. Then I will no longer fail to be touched by the love of Your Son. He came that we might have life. He came to bring Your love in all its fullness. "In returning and rest you shall be saved" "Return, o my soul, to your rest." The way is clear. The gate is open. The Father waits-and the prodigal still is loved.

Through Him who makes it possible, Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Moving On In The Life of Prayer

Think of prayer as returning to God. Everything falls into place when we return to the Lord. Big problems shrink to their proper size. Troubling misunderstandings dissolve when seen under the light of his understanding. Feelings of inadequacy lose their oppressive weight when we feel the buoyancy of prayer. The blessing, the power and the joy of prayer are nowhere better described than in Isa. 30:15, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." We want to return, we need to return. Prayer is the way to return.