He Is Here

…prepare to meet your God! He is here… – Amos 4.12-13, CSB

Israel was in rebellion, and yet God still waited. God’s punishment for their sins against him was coming after he had shown great patience toward them. Israel played the religious part, doing the outward things that seemed like they were still worshiping God, but they were far from him. Amos wrote of this.

Come to Bethel and rebel; rebel even more in Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tenths every three days. Offer leavened bread as a thanksgiving sacrifice, and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings, for that is what you Israelites love to do! This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. – Amos 4.4-5, CSB

Amos then described for Israel the kinds of things the LORD did to discipline them (Amos 4.6-11). He withheld food from them, causing a food shortage in their communities. He withheld rain, which caused some fields to wither. He struck them with blight and mildew. He allowed the locust to devour their gardens and vineyards. He sent plagues, similar to those that Egypt experienced, and ensured their armies suffered losses in battle. And at the end of each of the descriptions, God reminded them through Amos that they did not return to him. 

Do you see it? God’s discipline of his people was not simply him throwing a tantrum and punishing them out of pure spite. That’s not what it says. God’s reason behind his discipline against the people of Israel was that they would repent of their sin and come back to him. He was inviting them back into fellowship with himself. Paul wrote this same thing to the Christians in Rome, after describing God’s judgment in handing people over to their sinful desires in Romans 1, “Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2.4, CSB). God’s judgment is connected to his kindness because he desires to see us repent and come to him.

So when Israel didn’t repent, he gave them this word of warning. “Therefore, Israel, that is what I will do to you, and since I will do that to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God!” (Amos 4.12, CSB). This was not a meek invitation to meet with God; instead, it was a warning that things were going to get really bad, as they would be exiled from their land and taken into captivity. This was a terrifying statement as God was going to show up strongly and decisively to administer judgment against his people for their sin.

I believe some will read this blog post who need this warning. Perhaps the Lord is calling you to account because of the sin you’re living in. If so, I beg you to listen to his words of warning and repent. Leave your sin and come into fellowship with Jesus. Heed his warning. “He is here.” But he is here calling you to come to him because his kindness in judgment is meant to lead us to himself.

However, there are some who will read this blog post who need to be encouraged with the same reminder Amos gave to Israel, but from a place of admonition rather than rebuke. If that is you, let me remind you of this: “He is here.” You are not alone. As you’ve faced this difficult season, you are not alone. As you have wondered why more often than feeling like you’ve received an answer, you are not alone. He is here. And he is “the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, the one who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. The LORD, the God of Armies, is his name” (Amos 4.13, CSB). 

So, whether you’re repenting or in deep fellowship with him, accept his invitation to come to him. And rest assured that the all-powerful God who forms mountains and strides on the heights of the earth wants you. And he’s not far off. No. He is here!