God’s Cry to Return

“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me.” – Amos 4:6 ESV

God’s people had drifted away from Him. They violated His Word and embraced foreign gods. They oppressed the poor and crushed the needy. His continual cry was that they return to Him, a request repeated five times in this chapter. Yet in each case, they did not return.

He sent rain on one city and one field but not another. Yet they did not return. They had problems with their food, experiencing blight and mildew. The locusts devoured their gardens, vineyards, and trees. They did not have the bread they needed. Yet they did not return (vs. 8-9).

God was forced to send the kind of plagues that struck Egypt. Yet they did not return. He had to overthrow some in the same way He overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet they did not return (vs. 10-11).

Throughout the chapter, we feel His love and desire to bless His people. It pained Him to allow them to experience problems. Yet they continued to go their own way and refused to return.

God still desires to bless us. If we have drifted away, He calls us to return. If we have sinned, He calls us to repent. If we need direction, He calls us to seek Him.

Ask God to sift through your life, your thoughts, your time, and your resources. If you have drifted away, make it a priority to return to Him. Be forgiven, cleansed, and in tune with Him.

Reflection Question: Write a prayer asking for forgiveness for specific sins in your life.