Bless The Lord, O My Soul!
BRD REFLECTIONS:
(Alice Ling, CIC | John Wesley Choir )
READ
OBSERVE:
What I read in Amos 1 perplexed and perturbed me. The vision that God presented to Amos shows a very angry God – “The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem”. The repeated phrase of what the LORD says: “For three sins of (name of a place), even for four, I will not relent” sounds so insistent. And what God said He would do, “I will send fire”, “I will destroy”, “I will cut off”, “I will turn my hand against” sound so terrifying.
It goes against what I know of a kind and loving God. However, when I examined what caused God to do what He said He would do, I understood. The people of the places named in Amos 1 committed basic sins against humanity – they thrashed people brutally, took communities captive and sold them, disregarded brotherhood, killed people including pregnant women without mercy. These people, the oppressors, were receiving God’s judgement.
However, Psalm 103 paints a totally different picture. The Psalmist praises the abundant goodness and love of God. This is a God who forgives all my iniquity, heals all my diseases, redeems my life from the pit, who satisfies me with good (v3 – 5), a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (v8). This is the God I know, the God whose love I have experienced.
Then I read on in verse 6: “The LORD works righteousness and justice to all who are oppressed” and in verse 13: “The LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” Then I understood. God’s judgement fell on those who did not fear Him, who did not keep His commandments and who repeatedly oppressed God’s people with no mercy.
APPLY:
I am reminded that:
- God is just. All men are guilty of sin in God’s sight, not only those who perform atrocious sins like the people in Amos 1. I deserve God’s wrath and judgement.
- God is good. God’s mercy flows from His goodness. Because of God’s mercy, Christ’s atoning death frees us from God’s judgement. I have been saved by grace through faith.
DO:
God loves us and His commandments are meant to be moral laws for us to live by. In response to God’s love and with His help, I will keep His commandments and love the people God has placed in my life.
Loving people is not easy. We tend to murmur, grumble and be unhappy when things don’t go well. And we easily sing of God’s goodness when things do go well. But because I know that God is sovereign over all things, I choose to trust in His goodness in good times and bad.
PRAY:
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless Your holy name!
Father, help me to see that You are not only a God of love but also a Judge. Help me to fear You when I sin because it grieves Your heart. Help me to walk in obedience by Your grace and to trust You with all my heart. In Christ’s name, Amen.
