Seek Good and Not Evil
Amos 5:14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. (NRSV)
In a world shrouded in evil – and make no mistake, that’s precisely the world we live in – the temptation for God’s people, for you and me, is to fight evil with evil.
Surely neither you or I would ever fight evil with evil. Surely we would never stoop down to the same level as those terrible people who promote promiscuity and perversions, lies and licentiousness, hatred and hysteria. Surely not!
If that’s true, then why are my social media feeds crammed with so-called Christians spewing forth hatred at those with whom they disagree; peddling unfounded conspiracy theories as though they’re the truth; throwing fuel on the fire rather than shining the light of Christ’s love into this world. So how do we respond, then?
Amos 5:14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. (NRSV)
It’s all too easy for Christians to become self-righteous; to imagine that God is on our side. We’re right and they’re wrong and that’s something I’m going to shout as loudly as I like, with the righteous anger of God on my side. Really?
Chuck Swindoll puts it like this: More than almost any other book of Scripture, the book of Amos holds God’s people accountable for their ill-treatment of others. It repeatedly points out the failure of the people to fully embrace God’s idea of justice.
Friend, God’s idea of justice is rooted in love. Redemptive love. That’s why He never appoints you or me as judge, jury and executioner. Your job, my job, in the scheme of things?
Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said.
That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Blessed by this devotion?
Share it with a friend!
Respond