December 12

Today's Reading

Amos. "12 Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: 'Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there! 13 Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!'” Tragically, the history of faith is clouded with religious leaders like Amaziah the priest. They have fallen prey to the lure of power and money and are corrupted so much that they will protect their benefactors by any means possible.

Revelation. "You have little strength," Christ said to the church at Philadelphia, "but you have not denied Me." It is always tempting for us to categorize a church as successful or unsuccessful according to its size or other outward appearances. That is not the way He measures churches. I would rather be insignificant and standing firm than large and corrupt. Laodicea was the opposite of Philadelphia. They considered themselves strong and rich and wise, but were far from God.

Psalms. "Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk." Spiritual maturity is visible by how do when it seems that God is not paying attention to our needs. Do we panic? Do we question our own faith? Do we walk away from God and find something else to comfort us? Mature people wait upon the Lord (Isaiah 40) and trust Him, continuing to bear fruit in the "year of drought (Jeremiah 17)".

Proverbs. I have watched my preschool grandchildren get very hyper in their play time. They run and laugh and go a little crazy. I have learned that those moments tend to always end with someone getting hurt -- tears are around the corner. Pride is like that. It always and ultimately ends in humiliation.

What did you notice today?