“See Not Bethel – “But seek not Bethel…” Amos 5:5

“See Not Bethel”
“But seek not Bethel…” Amos 5:5
God sent Amos from the southern kingdom of Judah to preach against the many sins of the northern kingdom of Israel. The list of their sins was long, but the root cause was a simple one. The Israelites did not seek the Lord. Instead, they sought many other things, which they found in places like Bethel. We remember that Bethel had been a good place where a man could find God.

In Genesis 28, Jacob saw a vision of angels ascending and descending a ladder to Heaven. He named the place Bethel, which means, “House of God.” One thousand years later, a drastic change had taken place in Bethel. It became a center of wicked idol worship. How could this happen? People came to God’s house, but they forgot the God of the house!

We might think that this surely could never happen to us, but aren’t we often guilty of the same fault? How much time a week do we spend without any meaningful fellowship with God; and then go to church, enjoy the services, and then forget the Lord until next Sunday? He must be grieved when our time in church becomes more important to us than our time with Him.

A husband wants his wife to enjoy the fine home he has provided for her, but he won’t be happy if she adores the house and never pays any attention to him. Don’t let your church become a substitute for walking daily with God. — D.O.

Prepared by Roger Fulk, from the “Baptist Bread” February 3rd, 2020 devotional by author DON OHM, Pastor, Lighthouse Baptist Church, Orlando, FL. With permission from Tim Green, editor Baptist Bread. http://timgreenministries.org/the-baptist-bread/