“The Lion has Roared!” with Guest Writer Jennifer Adams

Amos 1:1-4:13

Today’s guest writer is my dear friend Jennifer Adams!

*Thunderous applause*

If you would like to learn more about Jennifer and her children’s book (For I AM Always With You: Valerie’s True Fairy Tale) click here to visit her website. I HIGHLY recommend it! And now without further ado, I’ll hand the keyboard over to Jennifer!

“Before the Lord God does anything, He tells His servants the prophets. The Lion has roared! Who wouldn’t be afraid? The Lord God has spoken, and I must prophesy.” ~Amos 3:7&8

To be a prophet of God is an awesome responsibility, because you are appointed by God himself. It is a divine honor, but it is also a burden, as identified in Amos’ name which means “burden bearer”.

As for an Old Testament prophet, his name did carry its full weight. He was given the “burden” to declare to Israel the wrath that they were about to receive from God for all their sin and transgressions. Therefore, when we hear the word burden, it takes on a negative connotation.

Through the message God gave to Amos, the Lord was showing Himself as the one attacking Israel, rather than protecting her. Up to this point, He was her shepherd, but three transgressions plus one more equals destruction. Amos listed the sin of Israel’s enemies, then the sins of her allies, and then finally Israel’s list was adding all the sins to herself. God was accusing Israel to be the worst of all the nations. Why would God say this?

Because Israel was the apple of His eye, therefore her disobedience hurt Him the most. ” …to whom much has been given, much will be required.” ~Luke 12:48 God had given the Hebrews the law. They knew that their actions were defiant of the one true God. If only His people would repent. God knew that He could no longer forgive the inequities; His only choice was judgment. He made it clear to them that only a few would be snatched from the Lion’s mouth. God did not want them to mistake His anger as an idle threat.

As human nature would have it, it takes a Lion’s roar to gain our attention. Most of us need to become afraid to reach out for a savior. I believe that is what God has done here. He became the Lion so that he could send the Lamb. He knew that His children would never be able to uphold the law, but rather, He shed the blood of His son to cover all iniquity. Now when Jesus invites us to take His yoke, the burden has been redeemed.

Paul writes to the Galatians, that every man shall bear his own burden, expressing to the individual that each one of us has a specific task that God has assigned only to them.

This is impelling to me! I am awe struck with the knowledge that the Creator of the universe thought of me and what He wants me to be before I was ever born. Not only that, but HE has the confidence in ME to fulfill that purpose to help complete His kingdom. That right there should compel every one of us to fall on our faces and declare to Him we are truly humbled and willing to do anything that He ordains of us.

I admit, I was once afraid that I would be unable to do what He expected. I was like most of us who are scared that He may demand too much, or He may require something that I was not willing to do. However, Jesus reassures us that His burden is light. ~Matthew 11:30

He is not going to ask us to do anything that He has not equipped us to do. But you ask, how does He equip us? Jesus Christ dwells in those who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is His strength, His abilities that allow us to do what He asks. He is doing the work, yet He allows us to share in the glory! In the Old Testament, the prophets were called servants. With the New Testament Covenant, Jesus has called us friends. We each have the opportunity to be a prophet for the King of the Universe… Will you answer the Roar?