Amos 4-6, Revelation 7 • Key Verse: Amos 6:1

You’ve probably heard about the meeting that was called to deal with the problem of apathy—no one cared enough about the problem to show up! The better things appear to be, the easier it is to grow complacent. Yet there are dangers inherent in complacency. Ruin can set in when diligence is set aside. For example, don’t worry about changing the oil in your car because it seems to be running fine. One day the warning light will come on, and it may be too late for your engine. Or as an ad for a dentist advised, “Ignore your teeth and eventually they will go away.”

Complacency in the spiritual life is a great danger too. Just as a car or our physical health can suffer from benign neglect, so can our spiritual health. We may fail to see the damage that is occurring when we do not maintain our spiritual life. We may one day wake up to realize that just like ignored teeth, our spiritual life is in shambles due to our complacency.

The prophet Amos cried out to the people of Israel, “Woe to you who are complacent [at ease] in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria” (6:1). At the heart of the complacency was pride. “We have Zion, the city of God,” they might have said. The people of Samaria viewed themselves as economically and militarily secure. Their vision did not match the reality of their situation. They faced judgment. God declared, “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it” (v. 8). We can be too at ease in Zion.

“God, help me to rest in You but not grow complacent about Your Word and my spiritual life. May I rest in You but keep my walk with You vibrant ”

Woodrow Kroll & Tony beckett
www.backtothebible.in