A Good or Bad Day?

Scripture – Amos 5:18-20: ¹⁸Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. ¹⁹It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. ²⁰Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light—pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) The “day of the Lord” looks to be a future time when people thought God would somehow take full control of things. They had no clue that it would be a time of judgment for them. For us today, we have the promise of Christ’s return. There will come a time when time and history as we understand it will come to an end. Christ will return to earth. I don’t know that it’s an exact parallel with what Amos describes. I do know for some people that will be a great new day. For others it will be a day of trouble.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) Am I ready for that? By the grace of God, I am. I will live with that assurance today. I will let a sense of urgency fuel me today, as well. As conversations about spiritual matters arise, I will be ready to talk about the grace of God and the good news of Christ.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord Jesus, first of all, thank you for saving me and countless others. Give me compassion, wisdom and words as I engage people in conversation today. The longer you wait to come, the more opportunity people have. Remind of that often. Stir me to new action.