The Sovereign LORD showed me a vision. I saw him preparing to send a vast swarm of locusts over the land. This was after the king’s share had been harvested from the fields and as the main crop was coming up. In my vision the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, please forgive us or we will not survive, for Israel is so small.” So the LORD relented from this plan. “I will not do it,” he said. Then the Sovereign LORD showed me another vision. I saw him preparing to punish his people with a great fire. The fire had burned up the depths of the sea and was devouring the entire land. Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, please stop or we will not survive, for Israel is so small.” Then the LORD relented from this plan, too. “I will not do that either,” said the Sovereign LORD. [Amos 7.1-6]
Two times, Amos interceded for Israel, and two times God withheld destruction because of Amos's prayer.
We need to pray for our country!
Another thing that stands out in this passage is that the judgments of God in both cases were what we would call "natural phenomenon." But, as we see in the context of this passage, these "natural phenomenon" were not natural at all.
There was a time in history when people, in general, believed God actually controlled all things. Today, with the development of science and technology, not so much.
Did God turn over control of the universe to science? If not, then why don't respond to God based on the natural phenomenon around us? What might that look like? I will tell you right now, it would be mocked as foolishness!
The lesson I see here is that I need to pray for my country! Likewise, I need to see what God is saying in the natural phenomenon around me.
Father, I know I sound like a fool in the world's eyes. But that's okay, I wouldn't expect any less. Forgive us for becoming so independent of You and failing to know that You are in control!
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