Scripture
Our verse for today comes from Amos 1:1, “The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.”
Background
I wonder how many shepherds there were in little Tekoa? I would think that a small village full of sheep and sycamore trees near Jerusalem would have plenty of shepherds. Perhaps that was the primary occupation of the town, and there were shepherd associations and well-organized shepherd civitan groups. They were very likely the backbone of the village, doing a common day’s work for a simple wage. And out of the midst of these laborers, Amos is blessed to do a little bit more for God. In fact, a lot more for God. But he doesn’t get to go around and deliver food to the hungry children. He didn’t start up a home for orphan kids. No, he had to go and tell his fellow countrymen how upset God was. Hear his first words from verse two, “The LORD roars from Zion.” He’s not going to make a whole lot of friends or be voted shepherd of the year with that message. But the Great Shepherd had a task for Amos to carry out, and Amos did it. And like Amos, most of us live our lives far from the public spotlight. We toil at home raising kids, at a desk pushing papers, retired and living life with our spouse, or outside getting our hands dirty. And also like Amos, we are blessed by God to do a lot more for Him. We are able to interact with strangers, train up our kids, and influence our co-workers.
Application
But unlike Amos, we don’t have to stand up and tell everyone that the Lord is roaring from heaven. We don’t have a message of doom and destruction. Our words to those who will hear are ones of forgiveness and love. Our God is calling out through us with grace. But the message will not be heard if we don’t share it. Amos had to get up from the four-legged sheep and go and tell the wayward two-legged variety. We’ve got them all around us, from our own young children, to the vendor we talk to every week, to the president of our company.
So share the gospel. It’s good news. It’s what the people need.
Charge
As we seek Him today, commit yourself to looking for opportunities to share His good news. Ask God to help you talk about the most important part of your life.
Rich Holt / Originally Published on : BCWorldview.org
Also published on : Medium.com.
