Friends in Christ Weekly Message
July 12, 2003

     Then Amaziah told me, "Amos, take your visions and get out! Go back to Judah and earn your living there as a prophet. Don't do any more preaching at Bethel. The king worships here at our national temple."
     I answered:

     I'm not a prophet! And I wasn't trained to be a prophet. I am a shepherd, and I take care of fig trees. But the Lord told me to leave my herds and preach to the people of Israel.

Amos 7:12-15 (CEV*)

Being called to prophesy may make one very unpopular. It is a difficult role. Amos was called to tell his nation that it was unfaithful and would suffer because of its unfaithfulness.

One might think someone would need special training to act as a prophet of the Lord, and perhaps one should be paid well to do something so difficult. But it is faithfulness that determines one's ability to serve as a prophet, not training or occupation.

When the Lord calls upon us to do something, we may protest that we lack the training and that our occupation is something quite different. But we must remember that throughout history God has used ordinary people, with no special training or occupation, to carry out His purposes. Like Amos, we must be ready when we hear God's call to step out of our customary place in life and do whatever is asked of us, no matter how difficult or disagreeable.

When we hear God's call, may we each not hesitate because we lack training for the task to which we are called, or because of our customary occupation or place in society. May we each humbly, yet boldly, respond to God's call with faithfulness.

Bill Samuel

* Contemporary English Version ©1995 American Bible Society.

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