The Day of the Lord
What sorrow awaits you who say, “If only the day of the Lord were here!” You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light. In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion—only to meet a bear. Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house—and he’s bitten by a snake. Yes, the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope. Amos 5:18-20
When you live in California, there will always be speculation that one of these days a powerful earthquake will happen. This is a day dreaded by most people because you do not know how powerful it will be. To some, such conjecture is also connected to the probability that this might be the day of the Lord especially when you think about the events taking place around the world. But the Bible always tells us that no one knows when Christ returns. This is why the admonition is to always be prepared for the day of His coming. “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The warning is not just directed for those who do not believe in Christ but more so to those who claim that they have made Christ as their Lord and Savior. Scriptural references that pertain to Christ’s second coming always call on Christians to be prepared for it could be far different from what people expected. This is what the text from the Book of Amos was telling the people of God. The people in the time of prophet Amos were thinking that the day of the Lord will be a time of celebration, feasting, jubilation, rejoicing, and singing. Yet God told them through Amos that there would be darkness and grieving on that day. People will be caught by surprise because it will be a day of hopelessness for those that continue to reject Him. In Jesus’ first coming, people were caught by surprise when He was born. They did not expect the Messiah to be born in obscurity. Yet when Jesus was born, it was also the birth of hope to people that believed Him and His coming. The charge then to those that believed and trusted Christ in their lives is to live lives pleasing to Him. As Amos told the people of God, they have to stop engaging in empty rituals instead pursue a life of godliness. “Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living” (Amos 5:23-24). The final day of the Lord will take place in Christ’s second coming. As you are preparing for this day, be ready and watchful to God’s prompting when He is bringing a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a co-worker to a saving knowledge. Be attentive, God might use you to bring His conviction to those people you know and are close to you. Pay attention to the lives of people around you and pray that God could use you and your witness so that others as well will have the hope that you have when the day of the Lord arrives.
Blessings,
