Gift of God Devotional

Amos chapter 4.

13”. . . the Lord God Almighty is His name.”

God repeatedly through the Old Testament would punish the Israelites for their sins in an attempt to turn them back to Him. Here, we can see God doing this – over and over again – but to no avail. The Israelites have no shame, no repentance for their actions – they submit their offerings to God, but they do not even attempt to change their behavior. Because of this, God intends to destroy them.

James tells us a similar concept: faith, when not accompanied by action or works, is dead (James 2:17). Many Christians, like the Israelites in Amos’s time, believe that their faith covers everything, so they can live however they want. As mentioned before, however, we are held accountable for our every action. How we live our lives shows our faith: “I will show you my faith by my deeds” (James 2:18).

Are you living your life thinking you can do no wrong because you have been saved? How can you demonstrate your faith by your actions?