Amos 8  Amos is given another vision.. the Lord shows him a basket of "summer fruit".. ripe fruit.. and the message is that the time is ripe.. the day has come.. " The end has come for My people Israel, I will spare them no longer." 

What was ahead for Israel was devastating.. .there would be corpses everywhere.. too many to even bury.  The sins of Israel brought about their destruction:  They trampled the needy. They were so greedy that they couldn't wait until the sabbath or feast days were over so they could make more money.  They cheated people by using false measurements.. they made "the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger.. " In other words, they sold a smaller amount for more money.. even using altered scales. They cheated poor people so they could have a bigger profit.. "So as to buy the helpless for money and the needy for a pair of sandals." 

Does this sound familiar?  Do you go to the store and find that the package you used to buy has shrunk and yet costs more?  Do the salaries of big business CEOs  seem extravagant? America has more and more homelessness.. more and more people who cannot afford food to feed their families. We  seem to be in the same situation that Israel was in .. way back in Amos' day. We need to take heed!

The Lord was about to carry out judgement upon Israel.. darkness was coming, mourning was coming, famine was coming, "And the people will stagger from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, But they will not find it."  This final punishment is the worst.. God would be silent.  There would be no hope.

Father, we hear Your voice now.. but we know that many do not and a time will come when Your word will become scarce. There will be a hunger and thirst for it.. and yet it will not be found. This is true in some countries around the world already.  Will it be true of America too?  Again we pray that Your word would spread rapidly and run freely across our nation before it is too late. Let ears be opened to receive the wonderful truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do not be silent, Lord. We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.