Seek God and Live
People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. - D.A. Carson
The Lord spoke through the prophet Amos who delivered a puzzling directive and promise, “Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba.” (Amos 5:4b-5a)
The opening salvo is simple and understandable. Seeking God is a life-giving exercise. But what about Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba? They were all grand sites with deep spiritual significance.
God revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel, so Jacob built an altar and named the city Bethel – House of God (Genesis 35:1-7).
The children of Israel entered the Promised Land at Gilgal and established an altar built of 12 stones taken from the dry bed of the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19-24).
Abraham dug a well at Beersheba, established a treaty with his neighbors, and called God “El Olam,” God Eternal (Genesis 21:30-34).
Amos would have been hard pressed to find three cities with greater religious history or significance. Yet those cities had drifted so far from their original spiritual moorings that now they were sites of pagan worship (Amos 8:14).
Past commitment is no guarantee of future loyalty. Be careful what you seek; wealth, fame, power, beauty, or degrees can generate spiritual drift. Follow Amos’ advice: Seek God and live.
Excelsior,
Dan Bolin
Author & President
Refueling in Flight Ministries, Inc
