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REFLECTION

“Destruction and hope” is the theme for our reflection. Destruction is the action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired. Hope, on the other hand, is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its manifestation is in His faithfulness. Amos revealed to the Israelites that although God will destroy the nation Israel because of their disobedience and unrepentance there is hope and restoration for the remnants and some of the exiles. We see the destruction of Israel from Amos 9:1-7 and the hope for restoration from Amos 9:11-15.

Beloved in the Lord, the question is, who will be destroyed and who is expected to be hopeful for God’s restoration? From Amos Chapter 9, the unrepentant sinners are the target of God’s destruction but those who put their trust in Him are expected to be hopeful for His restoration. It is going to be like a sieve which will be shaken. Unrepentant sinners are like chaff or particles of sand that will go through the sieve when it is shaken and they will fall on the ground, but those who are obedient to the Lord will be like pebbles who will remain in the sieve even when it is shaken vigorously. ““Surely the eyes of the Sovereign LORD
are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob,” declares the LORD. ⁹ “For I will give the command,
and I will shake the people of Israel among all the nations as grain is shaken in a sieve,
and not a pebble will reach the ground. ¹⁰ All the sinners among my people will die by the sword, all those who say, ‘Disaster will not overtake or meet us. Amos 9:8-10). Beloved in the Lord, the day of destruction will be like how a sieve is vigorously shaken. Both the wicked and righteous shall all be shaken. However, the wicked and unrepentant sinners will fall on the ground like a grain but the righteous in the Lord shall remain in the sieve like a pebble and never fall when it is shaken.

My dear friend, do not be influenced by the wealth of a corrupt person and do not follow the ways of the wicked. Do not be enticed by the lavish lifestyle of a person who makes wealth from unjust gains. Do not be drawn to sin or disobedience because it is pleasurable in our time. Do indulge yourself in prostitution because it is a quick way to make money. Do not allow the strong desire for wealth, power and fame to draw you into ritual murder and selling of your soul to the devil. The time will come when the Lord will vigorously and violently shake His sieve. Where will you be? Will you be like a pebble and remain in the sieve or will you be like a grain and fall on the ground.? Paul reminds us that “Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. ⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:8-10), Again in Galatians, Paul warns us again, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21). We are also greatly encouraged in Revelations 22:14-15 that ” “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

Dear friend in the Lord, John the Baptist admonishes us to repent, for the Lord’s ” winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12) Again Psalms 1:4 reminds us that “The wicked …are like chaff that the wind drives away. The day of reckoning and destruction shall surely come, but those who are obedient and put their trust in the Lord have been greatly assured in Romans 10:11 that “…Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” There is hope for us during the time of His destruction, “we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28). Beloved in the Lord, be strong in faith and do not give up. Be hopeful for the Lord’s restoration and salvation. Sometimes the going may get tough and we may be tempted to follow the world, sometimes the hardship may become burdensome and we may be tempted to do the forbidden, indeed, sometimes the agony, poverty and disgrace may become overwhelming but Isaiah 40:31 greatly encourages us that “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Beloved in the Lord, you are not alone in the battle to remain righteous, faithful and hopeful in the Lord, It is, for this reason, Jesus promised us that, ““All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:25-27) Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, strengthen us not to give up regardless of the temptations and hardships we may encounter because of our faith and obedience to God. May we become the pebbles and not the grain when the sieve of destruction is shaken by God on the last day. Amen.

HAPPY NEW MONTH AND REMAIN BLESSINGS!