I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel, and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, I Israel.
Amos 4:9-12
These verses paint a sad picture of the nation of Israel. God chose them and loved them, and then they rejected Him. In His effort to get them to return to Him, He did many things to them. He told them in the beginning that if they would serve Him and obey Him, it would be well with them. And if they would not serve Him and if they rejected Him, He would judge and destroy them.
Look at all of the ways He judged them: He destroyed their fruit and their gardens. He killed their men and allowed them to be beaten in battle. He overthrew them, but did not utter destroy or reject them. There was nothing more good that He could have done for them and there was nothing more that He could have taken away from them. Yet still they refused and rejected Him and would not return. In light of all of these examples, I have one searching question for today:
What does it take to get us to listen to Him? Will we listen and respond at His gentle leading through reading His Word and hearing it preached and taught? Or will He be forced to use the rod to bring us back to Himself? What will it take for us?
Justified Freely 
Posted by Ann on July 22, 2011 at 7:55 am
Thanks Ben
This is a tough one… I don’t ever want to be on the receiving end of these words.
Praying we will not stifle the voice of the Holy Spirit but that we will always be ready to receive / respond to His correction before it’s too late.
“… prepare to meet thy God…”
Ouchers. Reminds me of my childhood days when we erred royally and my parents would call to say they’ll fix it when they got home. Nothing we could do could adequately prepare us for the consequences of our bad judgement. I can’t imagine…
Blessings much,
ann
Posted by justifiedfreely on July 23, 2011 at 8:18 am
That is a good analogue. I remember those days too. I echo your sentiment: “I can’t imagine…”
Posted by Debbie on July 22, 2011 at 10:42 pm
You send me to Him asking if I have not heard or heeded Him! It breaks my heart to think that I’ve not listened, so I will ask and listen now!
God bless you, Ben, and thank you for your words from Him!
Posted by justifiedfreely on July 23, 2011 at 8:20 am
It is a tough one! I know that there have been times I have not listened as I should have, and I pray that I would make those times fewer and farther between!