Amos 2:11–12: “I raised up some of your sons as prophets, / And some of your young men as Nazirites. / Is it not so, O you children of Israel?” / Says the LORD. / “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, / And commanded the prophets saying, / ‘Do not prophesy!”

November 11th, 2021 by Pastor Ed in devotional

In Amos 2, God proclaimed that He would discipline both Judah and Israel for their disobedience. He reminded the Israelites of how He had blessed them down through the years since He had first brought them out of captivity in Egypt. He pointed out that it was by His grace that He honored and appointed some of their sons to be prophets, spokesmen, for Him before the nation; and others He consecrated as Nazirites, meaning to be consecrated or devoted (especially close) to God. Nazirites took a vow not to touch alcohol or grape products, come in contact with a dead body, or cut their hair (Numbers 6, 1 Samuel 1:11). God declared to the Jews that in spite of His dealing so faithfully with them, they had not remained faithful to Him, rejecting the words of their sons, whom He had appointed; and even worse, influencing them to compromise their calling to serve the Lord. How careful we must be today as we spiritually influence the next generation.

John Geddie started a pioneer missionary work in the New Hebrides Islands in 1848, where he worked and eventually died 24 years later. These words are inscribed on the tablet erected to his memory on the southern most island, Aneityum: “In memory of John Geddie . . . When he landed in 1848, there were no Christians here, and when he left in 1872 there were no heathen.” What a footprint! God is much less concerned with the carbon footprint we leave here on earth than He is with our spiritual footprint that remains for generations to come.

“LORD, please give us the grace today to successfully add to our spiritual footprint and give us more influence with the next generation, leading them into personal relationships with You.”