Amos 6:1-7
6 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
the notables of the first of the nations,
to whom the house of Israel resorts!
2 Cross over to Calneh and see;
from there go to Hamath the great;
then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
Are you better[a] than these kingdoms?
Or is your[b] territory greater than their[c] territory,
3 you who put far away the evil day
and bring near a reign of violence?4 Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
and lounge on their couches
and eat lambs from the flock
and calves from the stall,
5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David improvise on instruments of music,
6 who drink wine from bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
7 Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
“Be careful what you eat.” That warning is sounded often in our culture. From the perspective of our bodies, it’s advice worth following.
“Be careful how you eat.” That was a warning from the prophet Amos to God’s people centuries ago. IN his time, the people of God had grown complacent. They didn’t care about the one true God or others. They only thought about themselves. They were too much at ease — to the point that they would lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall, and drink wine from bowls.
When others are in peril and we should and could show our concern with our deeds, how we eat may be important. From the perspective of our souls we should listen today.
Prayer
God of our bodies, minds, and souls, remind us how all that we do in life makes an impact on the lives of people around us. Let us live today with our focus on You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
