WHEN IT IS WRONG TO LONG -- Monday:
"Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him." KJV (Amos 5:18-19).
Amos was called to deliver scathing rebukes to the people of God. His was not a pleasant ministry, though it was a most needful one. The people of God had lapsed into lifeless religious formality. With great precision they were keeping the outward requirements of the Law, yet had become reprehensible to Almighty God. What jarring words He spoke to them. "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments" (Amos 5:21-23). What they thought was sweet music was only "noise" to God. He could not bear to hear them sing or play upon sanctified instruments.
In their corrupt state, they said they longed for the Lord – for His day. They meant they looked forward to Him showing Himself to them -- to coming to their aid. They imagined they were pleasing to Him because of their fleshly status, and thus talked about "the day," or time, "of the Lord."
Their sin had anaesthetized their souls, so they were oblivious to the way God really viewed them. The closer He got to them, the more incensed He became. He was actually their enemy, because of the hardness of their hearts. His Presence would not bring blessing to them, but judgment and reprisal. For them, the presence of the Lord would bring "darkness," not light. They would be thrust farther from Him, and subjected to the strongest judgment.
The religion of our day bears great resemblance to that of the Israelites in Amos' day. It is largely pretense, offering to God things He will not accept, because of the corruption of the people. Many Christian people, at least by profession, have learned to mimic godly expressions. But their hearts are not in them. They speak of the Lord's coming, and of Him drawing near, but it is only talk. I have heard men say they looked forward to the coming of Christ, but not right now. Inwardly, they seem to sense their personal estrangement from God, even though their religion allows them to talk as though they are close to Him.
As the Spirit says, "the day of the Lord WILL come" (2 Pet 3:10). When it does, it will consume everything and everyone that has remained aloof from Him. As it is written, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries" (Heb 10:26-27). Salvation makes no provision for pretense or aloofness from God -- none at all.
By comparison, those who live by faith bring rejoicing to the heart of God (Deut 28:63; Isa 62:5; Zeph 3:17). The closer He comes to them, the more blessed and stable they are. Let them speak freely of desiring the day of the Lord. They will not offend Him, for they are speaking by faith and from their heart.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me grace to remove all pretension from my life, that my offerings to you may be well pleasing.