“I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.” (Amos 4:9)
Pestilence, famine and war, these are the three main ways that the Almighty has used and will use to punish those who disobey Him. They reach far beyond the personal, yet they are most personal indeed. Entire nations are decimated, all the laws of man are broken down when He sends them, life ceases as it was known, and mankind can do nothing.
The news of these events reaches to far away lands, yet those in the lands that are not personally affected give little heed to them, for it is not personal to them.
“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” (Heb. 13:3)
The missionary arrives at the church, the pews are generally filled more than on the average Sunday morning, they listen, some with tears in their eyes, they place the pre-prepared amount in the plate as it passes by, and then go about their business as usual, for it is not personal to them.
But it will be.
Many who profess the Lord Jesus Christ are not saved, they do not honor Him with their lives, they have not died to self, their heart is far from Him, their own hearts are deceived. “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;” (Prov. 1:26) When it becomes personal, when the pestilence knocks on their door, when famine invades their home, when war is on the horizon and not just across the other side of the planet, they will yell for Him to help, and He will not listen.
These are truths my friends that are not revealed, not spoken of on Sunday morning, for they convict, and attempt to use the words of the Holy Scriptures to attempt to convict the hearts of those who sit every Sunday morning in their self-designated spot in those pews is now seen as offensive, as judgmental, and many who place the title “pastor” in front of their name would rather see those seats full with those whose hearts are far from the Lord than a handful whose bellies are on fire for Him.
When the plague arrives, they will lock their door, just as they did in the preliminary test before. War and famine will drive them to their knees no more than the palmerworm did long ago, they will seek shelter and substance from those who brought these things upon them, from those the Lord used to cause trials and tribulations to occur.
But not to the Living God.
There is a very good probability that it may become very personal for you, no matter where you live on this planet, for the entire planet now stands in judgment of the Most High. His merciful longsuffering allows many times for much passing of time before He begins His strange work, so that those who truly serve Him can give the warnings, so that those who only profess Him with their lips can see the error of their way, so the wicked can fall on their face and glorify Him by calling on the name of His Son for the salvation of their soul.
The days of wrath are approaching, and in part may begin before the great and terrible days of the Lord. Are you truly in your heart prepared to say with righteous Job, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)
Will you run to the Rock of your salvation, or try to hide from Him? Will you praise Him for all your losses when He begins to make it personal for you?
