Amos 5
This is a call to repentance. A call to the people of Israel, and to us, to repent from our sin. Repentance is confession of what we have done wrong. But it is more than just a confession. Repentance is turning away from the sin to a new way of living. Amos calls the people to repent from the way they have lived to a lifestyle of righteousness. In verse 24 he writes, "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream."
Lent is a time of reflection and repentance. A time of self-examination in which we turn to lives of righteousness.
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Turn to a new way of living- I never thought of repentance or Lent in those terms. I don't think it means that we must give up every luxury we enjoy and be left with only the bare minimum, I don't think there is anything wrong with enjoying a sweet every now and then, or a $5 latte once in a while. I think the problem comes when we become fixated on those things, that we rank them higher than God. To me a life of righteousness if one that gives God the glory for all things, that He is always at the top of our lists-we seek Him throughout the entire week, not just on Sundays. The "feasts" and "solemn assemblies" mean nothing if our entire lives are not ones that honor God.
ReplyDeleteThe words from this passage using The Message once again (as did yesterday's scripture) show what God wants from us:
ReplyDeleteDo you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want.
Now comes the question of, "What WILL I DO to bring about justice and fairness to all - the poor, homeless, hungry, etc.?" It seems that helps me understand what happens when we repent!
We get busy being the hands and feet and mouth or our Lord!