Amos chapter 7. God DOES Love Us!
God was frustrated against Israel because of their sins. He told Amos he was going to send locust on the land of Israel and destroy everything. Amos pleaded with God not to, so God relented.
Then God declared to Amos a judgment of fire would fall upon the Israelites and destroy their land. Again, Amos pleaded with God not to do it, so again God relented.
Then God showed Amos A plumb line which declares the perfection or lack of perfection of a building being square. God said to Amos he is setting a plumb line among the people Israel and will not spare their lives any longer.
So Amos began to prophesy to the people of God's coming destruction, including the king.
I constantly go back to 2nd Peter 3:9 where it says God does not wish that any would perish but that all would come to repentance.
Also I continually go back to Ezekiel 33:10-11 where God says he takes no delight in the death of the wicked.
God truly DOES LOVE US and gets no joy out of seeing his people die in their sins. That's why he pleads over and over again with the people to repent of sins. He declares his wrath ahead of time so they have the opportunity to repent of their sins and avoid his wrath.
God doesn't enjoy seeing his creation dying in their sin. But the death of the wicked is a sign for us today that God takes very seriously our life choices. And if we are choosing a life of sin then our outcome is death, spiritual death in a lake of fire called hell. It isn't God's desire that any would perish in this place, but an unrepentive heart not following the Lord is not accepted in a holy place called heaven. God can have no unclean being in his presence. And one becomes clean only through a relationship with Jesus approached with a heart to be changed by the Holy Spirit. Turn from sin. Turn to Christ. Become a new person in Christ. Forgiveness comes from Jesus and we are made clean and holy and righteous. Now we have the privilege to be with the father in Heaven.
If we're going to reject Christ and continue to wallow in sin, then we bring God's wrath upon ourselves.
CHALLENGE:
What are you struggling with? God loves us and doesn't wish that any would perish so he wants to help each of us through our struggling areas. Take it to Christ daily. Confess your struggles of sin. And share it with somebody else for accountability purposes.