Monday 18 July

Amos 6:1-7:17

If there is one thing that gets the Lord all riled up then it has to be pride.  It makes him mega-angry.  It leads him to say things like “your wife will become a prostitute”.  That is never a good thing to hear the Lord say, even if you are a woman.  More than nearly anything else, pride is a spitwad in the face of God.  Pride is seeing oneself as a notable man.  It’s walking around with a sense of privilege.  It’s spending money on fine furniture, fine food, fine music, fine wine and fine lotions while giving nothing to the starving and crumbling communities around you.  Pride is regarding yourself as part of a great house and believing your conquests - your promotions or successes or wealth - are down to you own abilities alone.  And so pride gives birth to the bastard child of complacency.  And that offspring will squander all your funds, destroy your character, smash up your property and lead you into ruin.  That child needs to be taken outside the camp and stoned as soon as physically possible.  Instead, let us follow the way of Amos.  “I am not a prophet, nor a prophet’s son” is his cry.  I’m a tiny man.  I don’t have a status or any rights or any particular prestige.  I used to look after sycamore-fig trees.  If you want some horticultural advise then I’m your man.  But, if it is life advice you are after then you and I together better get on our knees before the LORD.  He is the only one who can make running in this game.  He is the only one with the strength and authority to see change come.  He is the Lord God Almighty.

Romans 4:16-5:11

Aargh! So much to say! Up to this point Paul has majored on the gospel’s astonishing provision of forgiveness - we were guilty and wicked but now we are clean and pure.  That in itself would blast away most of our troubles and worries in life.  But he goes further.  He goes on to speak of peace.  He goes on to speak of hope.  We know we stand in grace, and I think we may grasp some of what that means.  But grace is not just like a car wash - it doesn’t just have cleansing properties.  Grace also waxes our bodywork, it re-upholsters our seats, it gives us an oil change and hangs a delicious smelling Magic Tree Car Air Fresheners on our rear view mirror.  In short, grace pimps our ride.  Grace brings a positive and enriching and revitalising sense of peace to us.  We could think on that for some time.  We could enjoy that truth for several years to come.  But then, just when we begin to comprehend what a glorious transformation we have known, the door of the car opens and the Holy Spirit steps in.  This is not just about forgiveness.  This is not just about peace.  This is about reconciliation.  This is about the love of God being poured into our hearts.  This is about Christ bringing us into rejoicing.  This is about Jesus bringing into friendship with the Father.  We knew we were no longer dirty.  We knew we were no longer troubled.  Now we are no longer alone.  The Father has demonstrated his love for us and now he reassures us of it moment after moment, second after second.  When we were complete losers, when we were screwed, when we were rebellious Jesus chose to die for us.  Now the cross has gone to work in our lives, now we have been forgiven and given peace, how much more should we have hope for our future?  That is what we get onto tomorrow.

Psalm 86:11-17

This one is a corker.  Give me an undivided heart O God.  Let my heart only be pointed in one direction.  And please let that direction not be chocolate.