Amos 8:1-12 v 2 “What do you see, Amos? “I replied, “A basket of ripe fruit” Then the Lord said, “like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment!”
People are robbing the poor and trampling down the needy, cheat the helpless, use dishonest measures, enslave poor people for a pair of sandals. The Lord says” I will never forget the wicked things you have done. “In that day I will make the sun go down at noon” People will famine from hearing the word of the Lord.
We all know how quickly ripe fruit can go off in the summer months. And that is what I see here in this psalm. A lovely bowl of ripe fruit ready to decay or be destroyed. Why do the pressures of this world cause people to cheat, be dishonest? Just look at the papers to see politicians, sports icons and movie stars making poor choices. And what about us? Are we ripe for punishment too? Making poor choices about how we use our time our money and our talents? We know that the day referred to at the end of this passage is the day Jesus died for our sins on the cross, but I think we need to remember that as we journey to be better people following Jesus’s way it is still always easier to give in to our “bad” side. Some days I read the bible and do see the answers. My corruptness gets in the way as I search for the word of the Lord and do not find it.
Prayer: Almighty Lord, we are sorry for the poor choices we make that cause us to be blind to the wonder of your word. Forgive us today and allow your Son to guide us to path that produces good fruit in your name. Amen
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