Obadiah 1:1-4

January 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!” Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?” Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord” (Obadiah 1:1-4).

In these 4 verses, we can see several things. 1) The prophet is Obadiah, whose name means Servant (Slave) of Yahweh. 

2) This book of prophecy is directed to the land of Edom. This is the land where Esau, the angry brother of Jacob, settled. 

3) The people of Edom are proud and self-secure. “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’”

4) The LORD says He can and will reach Edom to bring them down. This is an important lesson for all nations, even today. Sometimes nations or people, in general, think that God has no relevance to them, even if He exists. The true and living God has claims on ALL people on the earth. 

5) Why was God angry with Edom? Because they made fun of Israel while the Babylonians were sacking Jerusalem. (See verses 10-14.)

This is a good reminder to me that the Lord measures the hearts and actions of people, including mine. 

Father, please help me remember that my heart is important, not just my actions. Help me to have a pure heart. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Israel, Obadiah, Old Testament

Amos 9:1, 14-15

January 13, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: ‘Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape’” (Amos 9:1).

“’I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,’ says the Lord your God” (Amos 9:14‬-‭15‬).

This last chapter of Amos presents something of a contrast. First, Amos has a vision of the Lord pouring out his wrath on the evil doers (9:1-10). 

Then, Amos closes his book by telling of a time when the Lord will restore the “tabernacle of David,” which includes the land promise, “‘I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,’ says the Lord your God” (15‬).

I believe that modern Israel is the partial fulfillment of what Amos and the other prophets describe as the restoration of Israel. Clearly, the nation does not walk in righteousness. So, we wait for the Lord to bring that element of the restoration.

Father, please fulfill your promise to restore Israel in righteousness. Please defend them from those who seek to undermine your land promise by dividing the land. Amen.

Filed Under: Amos, devotional thoughts, Old Testament, Prophecy, Restoring Israel

Amos 8:11-12

January 12, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

This is a disturbing passage. First, the Lord warns the people of the day when He will send a famine of the word of the Lord, resulting in an inability to find the word.

In this case, there are clearly two actors. 1) The people have disregarded the Lord, chasing after idols and pleasure. 2) The Lord who will withhold his blessing. 

The result will be that the people will not be able to find the word of the Lord when they want it. I’m not sure if that means that all the clergy are corrupt and putting out anything but the truth. Or, the Lord has simply taken away his word. I think I lean toward the former because I don’t think the Lord will withhold His word from the remnant of faithful believers. 

Do we see anything similar in our country? There are lots of churches and lots of preachers. But are there lots of churches and preachers preaching the word of the Lord? Or are there more and more that are moving to the word of man? 

Father, please help me be faithful to you and your word. Help me accept what the Bible says, even when it is hard. Amen.

Filed Under: Amos, devotional thoughts, idolatry, Old Testament, Prophecy

Amos 7:8-9

January 11, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.’”

The image used by the Lord is very helpful in understanding this passage. The plumb line is used to evaluate the straightness of a wall. In this vision, Amos saw that the “wall” of Israel was not straight. It had become crooked through idolatry at the high places and sanctuaries. 

I wonder if the Lord used a plumb line on me, how plumb I would be. Would I be way off? I suspect that on the days I would be excited to be measured, I would be way off due to my pride in being close to plumb. Thankfully, the Lord is kind and forgiving and seeks to restore us. 

Father, please help me to be plumb. I want to honor you in all areas of my life. Please help me to have confidence in Christ, and not in my own flesh. Amen.

Filed Under: Amos, devotional thoughts, Old Testament, Word Pictures

Amos 6:4-7

January 10, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore, they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away” (Amos 6:4-7).

This is a passage about which I figuratively say, the Lord says, ‘We’ll see about that!” 

First, he describes the luxury of the northern kingdom: ivory beds, fresh lamb and beef, fine wine, and the best oils. Their focus is on enjoying the finer things in life rather than being concerned about the spiritual downfall (idolatry) of the northern kingdom. (King Ahab – Jezebel’s husband – was known for his large ivory bed.)

Second, he explains that these folks will be the first to be exiled because of their heart focus. 

This passage is a good reminder of God’s priority for heart commitment to righteousness. I must keep this in mind daily because I can be tempted to love the finer things over a love for spiritual things. I don’t think fine things are wrong, in and of themselves. They are wrong when they capture our hearts. 

Father, please help me shape my passions toward righteousness and not toward the world. Amen.

Filed Under: Amos, devotional thoughts, heart matters, Old Testament
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