How can we discern God's warnings today, as seen in Amos 7:1? The vivid warning in Amos 7:1 “This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts when the spring crop began to sprout, after the king’s share had been harvested.” (Amos 7:1) • God initiates the warning: “the Lord GOD showed me.” • The warning is specific: locusts poised to devour Israel’s food supply. • The timing highlights mercy: judgment is announced before complete destruction so people can repent. Timeless principles drawn from the verse • Divine warnings spring from God’s covenant love; He confronts sin so people may turn back (2 Peter 3:9). • God chooses clear, memorable imagery—here, locusts—to jolt the conscience. • He speaks through trusted, Scripture-anchored messengers (prophets then, faithful preachers and teachers now; cf. Ephesians 4:11–12). How to discern God’s warnings today 1. Scripture as first filter – “All Scripture is God-breathed…” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). – Any claimed warning must align with the plain sense of the Bible. 2. The internal witness of the Holy Spirit – “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). – Conviction, not vague anxiety, accompanies genuine warnings (John 16:8). 3. Christ-centered preaching and teaching – God still uses proclaimers of His Word (Romans 10:14-17). – Measure every sermon, podcast, or book by its faithfulness to the gospel (Galatians 1:8-9). 4. Wise, biblically literate counsel – “Where there is no guidance, a people falls” (Proverbs 11:14). – Mature believers help test impressions and circumstances (Acts 15:28). 5. Providential circumstances that echo Scripture – Repeated obstacles, financial loss, or relational breakdown may mirror biblical warnings about specific sins (Haggai 1:6-7). – Do not read every hardship as judgment, yet refuse to ignore patterns the Bible clearly identifies (Galatians 6:7-8). 6. Confirming consistency over time – Genuine warnings persist and deepen; false alarms fade (Jeremiah 28:8-9). – Record what you sense, compare with Scripture weeks later, and look for godly confirmation. Practical steps for daily attentiveness • Start each day in the Word; let God set the agenda before news feeds do. • Pray for a teachable spirit; pride deafens, humility listens (James 1:21). • Keep short accounts with God—confess sin quickly to stay sensitive (1 John 1:9). • Invite accountability; share potential warnings with trusted believers. • Act promptly on clear conviction; delayed obedience hardens the heart (Hebrews 3:13). Encouragement to finish well Just as Amos saw the locusts before they struck, God still graciously alerts His people. Stay rooted in Scripture, rely on the Spirit, cherish sound teaching, and you will recognize His warnings—not to paralyze you with fear, but to steer you toward faithfulness and flourishing. |
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