QT 03/11/2025 Mon. Amos 4 “Yet You Did Not Return to Me” “你们却不归向我”

QT 03/11/2025 Mon. Amos 4 “Yet You Did Not Return to Me”
READ http://www.esv.org/Amos4

📖 Scripture Focus:
“Yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. — Amos 4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11

🙏 Devotion:

Amos 4 is a sobering chapter—a divine wake-up call to a complacent, self-indulgent people. The Lord, through Amos, confronts the people of Israel with uncomfortable truths. They were religiously active but spiritually blind, living in luxury while ignoring justice, mistreating the poor, and refusing to repent despite God’s repeated warnings.

Over and over, God says,

“I gave you…” hardship, drought, famine, pestilence... “Yet you did not return to Me.”

These weren’t punishments without purpose. They were invitations to return. God disciplines not to destroy, but to restore.

The repetition of that haunting refrain—“Yet you did not return to Me”—should cause every believer to pause. It reminds us that outward prosperity doesn’t equal God's approval, and suffering can be a mercy when it draws us back to Him.

💡 Application:

God is not indifferent to injustice, idolatry, or hypocrisy among His people. He desires repentant hearts, not empty rituals.

Ask yourself:

• Have I been ignoring the Spirit’s conviction?
• Have I let comfort dull my dependence on God?
• Am I truly returning to Him, or just maintaining religious appearances?

Amos 4 ends with a chilling reminder:

“Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (v.12)

This isn’t meant to scare—it’s meant to wake us up. God is holy. He will not be mocked. But He is also merciful—calling His people again and again to return.

Today, don’t wait for life to fall apart before you turn back. Return to Him now—while mercy is still extended.

🙌 Gospel Tie-In:

We have a better word than Amos' generation:

In Christ, God has already made the way back.
He took the judgment we deserve, so we could be restored.

Jesus is the One who says,

“Come to Me, all who are weary...” (Matthew 11:28)

Where Israel failed to return, Jesus came down to bring us home. And now, by grace through faith, we can return and remain in Him.

🙏 Prayer:

Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve hardened my heart. Thank You for calling me back—again and again. I don’t want to just go through the motions. I want to return to You with my whole heart. Search me, change me, and let my life reflect true repentance and deep dependence on You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

📚 Going Deeper:

Read Hosea 6:1-3 — “Come, let us return to the Lord...”

Reflect on Hebrews 12:5–11 — God's loving discipline

Journal: Where in your life has God been calling you back to Him?

QT 03/11/2025 星期一.   阿摩司书 4 “你们却不归向我”
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/amo/4/

QT 2025年3月11日 周一 阿摩司书4章
阅读 http://www.esv.org/Amos4

📖 经文焦点：
“但你们仍不归向我。”这是耶和华的宣告。——阿摩司书4:6,8,9,10,11

🙏 默想：

阿摩司书第四章令人警醒——这是神对沉溺享乐之民的震诫。主借阿摩司直指以色列民的痛处：他们宗教活动频繁却属灵瞎眼，奢靡度日却漠视公义，欺压贫民且屡次警告后仍拒不悔改。

神反复宣告：

“我赐下……” 灾祸、旱饥、饥荒、瘟疫……“你们却不归向我。”

这些惩罚并非无意义的打击，而是回归的邀请。神的管教并非要毁灭，而是要复兴。

那句令人心悸的反复宣告——“你们却不归向我”——应当使每位信徒警醒。它提醒我们：外在的繁荣不等于神的认可，而苦难若能引领我们回归，便是恩典。

💡 应用思考：

神绝不漠视子民中的不义、偶像崇拜与伪善。祂渴求的是悔改的心，而非空洞的仪式。

请自省：

• 我是否忽视了圣灵的责备？
• 安逸是否麻痹了我对神的倚靠？
• 我是否真正归向祂，还是仅维持宗教表象？

阿摩司书第四章以震撼的宣告收尾：

“因此，以色列啊！我必这样对付你。以色列啊！因我必这样对付你，你应当预备迎见你的　神。” (12节)
这并非要吓唬人——而是要唤醒我们。神是圣洁的，祂不容亵渎。但祂也是慈爱的——不断呼召祂的子民归回。

今日，莫待生命崩塌才回转。趁着恩典尚存，此刻就归向祂吧。

🙌 福音关联：

我们比阿摩司的世代更蒙恩典：

在基督里，上帝已铺就归途。
祂承担了我们应得的审判，使我们得以复原。

耶稣正是那位宣告：

“ 你们所有劳苦担重担的人哪，到我这里来吧！我必使你们得安息。”（马太福音11:28）

以色列未能归回之时，耶稣降临引领我们回家。如今凭着恩典借着信心，我们得以归回并常存于祂里面。

🙏 祷告：

主啊，求祢赦免我屡次刚硬的心。感谢祢一次又一次呼召我归回。我不愿只是走过场，愿全心归向祢。求祢察验我、改变我，使我生命彰显真实的悔改与对祢的全然倚靠。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。

📚 深入研读：

阅读何西阿书6:1-3——“来吧，我们归向耶和华……”

默想希伯来书12:5-11——神的慈爱管教

灵修笔记：在哪些生命领域，神正呼召你归向祂？