When We Trip, Turn

Amos 2:14

Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

This passage sounds like the reverse of Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Amos speaks a few short years prior to Isaiah and, though himself from Judah, his ministry was in Bethel, in the Northern Kingdom. While Isaiah gave Jerusalem hope if they would wait upon the Lord, Amos gave no such hope to Northern Israel.

·       They would attempt to strengthen themselves but would fail

·       They would attempt flight but not achieve it

·       They would attempt deliverance but unsuccessfully

In the end the Kingdom of Israel would be destroyed. Judah, however, would not suffer the same fate. The difference was simply that God would not help Israel as they had turned from God. Though Judah had sinned, there remained in Judah, souls faithful to the Lord. Those who waited upon Him would mount up with wings as eagles.

The application and lesson for us is clear; though we have sinned, though we so often tripped in our walk with Christ, we ought to, we must, turn to the Lord.

To turn our hearts away from him spells nothing but destruction.