I Remember When... - Amos 9:11

"In that day I will restore the fallen kingdom of David. It is now a house in ruins, but I will rebuild its walls and restore its former glory." Amos 9:11

"I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to the last breath! May he be pleased by all these thoughts about him, for I rejoice in the Lord." Ps. 104:33-34

The sense I got while reading this, was one of sadness. It was God reminiscing about days gone by; the days when David was king, and the people actually had a heart and desire for the things of God. It was a longing for the people he had chosen and loved, but who had turned their back on him. It is, I am certain, the very same feeling that God has today when he looks at Israel and the world in general. What a contrast from feeling David's heart when I read Ps. 104 today! But then there is the promise of restoration! "The time will come, says the Lord...," starting in verse 13 of Amos, when it will become what it was always meant to be. So mixed with sadness for God, I felt the hope of the promise as well. AND the desire to not want to contribute to God's sadness by my own actions.

God, I am sorry that you have to go through all this. How painful it must be to watch your people reject you! I repent for my part in this, it is never my desire to make you sad. But at the same time I am thankful that you kept your focus on the end game -- the restoration. Thank you for saving me to be able to see that day.

Today's reading: Amos 7-9; Ps. 104; Titus 2