What Makes You Secure?

One Decision Away

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No matter how dark your path or deep your sin, it takes just one decision to seek the Lord and live. It takes just one decision. Yes, for our salvation, but also, believer, we're talking about us as well.

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It takes that tenacity in life, that focus, to seek the Lord and live. I believe that there are people represented in the body of Christ as well as reading this, that are one decision away from seeking the Lord. Just one; and the Lord is putting opportunity after opportunity infront of us, and today is another one.

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This is the message from Amos Chapter five. It is a message of a divine solution.

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“A house of cards,” you've likley heard this phrase before. It's an idiom. That means a very unstable structure teetering and on the brink of collapse. And when the Jewish people were called by God through Amos to look in the mirror, they were called to reflect upon the fact that their nation was a house of cards. That on the outside, at this time in history, they had economic success, they had financial security, they had good borders, they had a strong military. These things defined Israel at this time. And yet, here comes Amos, the prophet, to say you are about to enter a season of national mourning and lamentation, weeping and sorrow, because what you see on the outside is not reflective of what God sees on the inside.

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"...because what you see on the outside is not reflective of what God sees on the inside."

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And for us, do not look at our nation the way that the world does, because the way that our world looks at the nation is oftentimes like “everything's fine, everything's going to be okay.” Yet we should seek to look at the nation from the perspective of God. Then we would see the corrosion, see the corruption, and see the things that are going on within. Because from God's perspective, it just may be a house of cards that is ready to fall down.

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Strengthen What Remains

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This is why we are called to strengthen what remains. Take a look at what we can strengthen within our lives and within our homes and for the next generation. Then give focused effort to strengthen what remains that we might place our security and our confidence in what truly matters.

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Now, the Scripture is very consistent with this message about where not to place our security and where to our security and confidence. Here are a few examples. 

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Wealth? Timothy: “Command those who are rich in this age not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put your hope where God 

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Wealth? 

1 Timothy 6 

“...not to put their hope in wealth which is so uncertain, but…”

“...but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”

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Health? Isaiah Chapter 40. All flesh is like grass and like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flower. What fades? But the word of the Lord stands forever. 

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Health?

Isaiah 40

“All flesh is like grass...but…”

“...but the word of our God will stand forever.”

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Power? The great echo of Psalm 20 Some trust in chariots and summon horses. But we, the people of God, we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

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Power?

Psalm 20

“Some trust in chariots...but we trust…”

”...but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

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Or do we put our confidence in people? Psalm chapter 46 Do not put your trust in princes. Do not put your trust in human beings. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob. 

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People?

Psalm 146

“Do not put your trust...in human beings...”

“...Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob...”

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How about parents? David says, in Pdalm 27, “My father and my mother have forsaken me.” Yet there is hope, “but the Lord will take me in.” Is your security even in parents or their absence or their rejection of you? David says, “Put your hope in God.”

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Parents?

Psalm 27

“My father and my mother have forsaken me, but...”

“...but the Lord will take me in.”

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What about politicians? Daniel Chapter two: Daniel falls to his knees after that great vision is is delivered to him, and he says, “He changed his times and seasons. He removes kings and what sets up kings.” Our hope is not in politicians. Our hope is in the God of the universe. 

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Politicians?

Dan 2

“He removes kings and sets up kings...”

“To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise...”

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And how about Nations? Job Chapter 12: “He makes nations rise and He makes nations fall.” Where do you place your security in a nation that teeters with uncertainty? Be very wise with here you place your security.

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Nations?

Job 12

“He makes nations rise and then fall...”

“To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise...”

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The question would be this. How does the Lord indeed see our nation? Because He's sounding the alarm to Israel, here. An alarm that says, “what you see on the outside does not match what God sees on the inside.” 

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Personally, when I see our nation, I see a nation that is teetering with uncertainty like a house of cards. If it were up to me, from my vantage point and how I believe that the Lord's heart sees us, I would draw a parallel to how He saw the Church in Revelation chapter three, verse one. 

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That church had a reputation for something, but the Lord sees something far different. The verse states, “I know your works. You have a reputation to be alive, but you are dead.” That's also Amos 5:16 and 17! “You're dead! Wake up! Strengthen what remains and what is about to die.”

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That's the action step for us: give focused attention to strengthen what remains. Do you have children? Strengthen them? Do you have grandchildren? Strengthen them? Do you have a capacity to love God more? Strengthen your heart. Give focused intention to what God has called you to. That's the path of life. 

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Take Action

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Earlier this week, I was power washing my deck, and it had about two years of that kind of “greenness”, you know, it’s a little dark but you just kind of ignore it because it's just there day after day after day. It's like it's not that big of a deal. But listen, after doing half of the deck, I stood back, and I'm like, “wow.” A striking difference. How was it done? It is that focused effort of the spray that gets rid of the mold and the green. It's focused; and that's what it looks like to strengthen what remains.

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It is giving focused effort. And when you give it God comes along rewarding and blessing. Strengthen what remains.

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