Watch What you Wish For

Amos 5:18-20

(18) Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light,

(19) as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him.

(20) Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?

I love this little passage for a couple of reasons. One is that it really exalts God's holiness and justice. The other is that I like somewhat sarcastic imagery Amos uses to describe how the day of the Lord will be for his readers. They had an idea that it would be a good day for them. Amos informs them otherwise.

I think we all have a sense of personal justice in that we think that we are going to be vindicated for how we think and live. We believe that perfect justice will see us in the right and others in the wrong. This passage tells us differently. Much later on in Scripture we get a pretty vivid description of this day from Peter:

2 Peter 3:9-12

(9) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

(10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

(11) Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,

(12) waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

The Lord is waiting until all of His elect are in the fold before He comes back in justice. My hope is in the fact that the day will come. I have assurance that I will be safe from the upcoming judgment because I am in Christ. It won't be pretty for a lot of people though. If you don't know Jesus I advise you to give this consideration. The world had a start and it is going to have an end. Are you going to be ready?