Amos 9:13-15

Amos 9:13-15 (ESV): “13  “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,           “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. 14  I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. 15  I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.”

God is a redeemer of the sinful. His goal is restoration, not condemnation. Return to Him and He will restore you.

Amos proclaims a future restoration for the nation of Israel. God has not forsaken this sinful nation. He is purging her of her wickedness in preparation for His future plan. A day is coming—and is still yet future—when God will restore the land of Israel and make her fruitful once again. This will ultimately be fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

Do you grow weary in the chastening? God disciplines those whom He loves. How else will you become more like Jesus, friend? The pruning process is painful, but it is necessary. Yet we must never lose sight of God’s goal: He desires to restore you and make you fruitful again. The quicker you learn the lesson, the sooner the restoration comes. Amen?

Father, forgive and restore me. I surrender myself to You. Prune me and shape me into the image of Your Son, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.