Morning Coffee With Renae

Amos 3:4 – 5 “Does a lion roar in the thicket when he has no prey? Does he growl in his den when he has caught nothing? Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground where no snare has been set? Does a trap spring up from the earth when there is nothing to catch?”

Do you like it when someone asks you a question without expecting an answer? Do you think question upon question is a good form of communication? Do you think Amos was a fan of rhetorical questions?

Well, to answer my own questions, I’m not sure. Sometimes. And yes.

Amos liked to ask obvious questions that didn’t require an answer. Of course the lion doesn’t roar if he has no prey. He creeps about, in stealth mode, until he catches his prey off-guard, and then he pounces.

Then, he roars.

Birds don’t tend to set traps for themselves, either. And they won’t get caught in a snare unless someone else sets it.

The obvious answers to these questions bring clarity to God’s judgment on Israel. The lion catches his prey, and he roars. The hunter sets a snare, and the bird is caught. Israel continues to ignore God’s laws, God pours down His judgment on them.

Friends, sin always has consequences. It destroys us. It hurts the people around us. And it invites God’s wrath.

If we don’t want the effects of sin to twist and tangle into our lives, we must avoid the cause. We must stay far away from sin. And when sin approaches, we should run the other way.

The good news is, righteousness has effects, too. While the effects of sin leave much to be desired, the effects of living upright, holy lives are beautiful and amazing and beyond description. He promises peace. Joy everylasting. Eternal life.

I don’t know about you, but those are some effects I’d like to experience more.

Dear Father, Help my life to be cause for Your blesssings, not Your anger. Amen.

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