4 This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel:
"Seek me and live;
5 do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,
do not journey to Beersheba.
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will be reduced to nothing. [e] "
6 Seek the LORD and live,
or he will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire;
it will devour,
and Bethel will have no one to quench it.
7 You who turn justice into bitterness
and cast righteousness to the ground
8 (he who made the Pleiades and Orion,
who turns blackness into dawn
and darkens day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the LORD is his name-
9 he flashes destruction on the stronghold
and brings the fortified city to ruin),
10 you hate the one who reproves in court
and despise him who tells the truth.
11 You trample on the poor
and force him to give you grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,
you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
You oppress the righteous and take bribes
and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
13 Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.
14 Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
-Amos 5:4-16
In just a few verse, there is the constant repetition of "seek God and live." God offers us life... and I would argue that in seeking Him, spending time in His word, attempting to follow His ways, we are living. In a very real way, His ways lead to righteousness. It feels like the greatest challenge in life is not to lose the LIFE in life. We get so busy with so many things, that we forget to seek the true LIFE that God offers to us. As it says in verse, 6, we might write:
do not seek money,
do not go after your own desires,
do not journey in order to gain your own fame.
For money is only of the earth.
And fame is fleeting and takes from LIFE.
It's hard as a grad student, to keep LIFE in our life, even at the most busy times... we need to take time to seek the life that He offers us, the living water... mentioned in the following verse:
16Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." - Revelations 7:16-17
Lord I thank You for wiping my tears... even when they are foolishly spilled over stress or work or worries. You love me so much, Father... thank You for all the blessings that You have given me. For Your constant, constant love... and for the LIVING water that renews my soul this morning.
I offer myself... to seek You, to seek Your will for my life.
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