The Unqualified Prophet?

The Unqualified Prophet?

Amos never wanted to be a prophet of the Lord. While individuals in his time would join prophet guilds or spend their lives studying the Torah and other religious works of the People of God to prepare themselves to be prophets, Amos tells us he was a dresser of sycamore trees by trade and it seems was not in the least bit interested in becoming a “professional” prophet.

Yet the Lord called him from his work to be God’s prophet and convey a difficult message to the people of his time, chastising them for focusing on their wealth and comfort as the priority of their lives while neglecting the needy who were in their midst. We can assume Amos knew this was difficult news many did not want to hear but faithful to his prophetic call he knew he had to speak the words that God had given him.

We too might find ourselves in a similar situation to Amos in that he is calling us to live our Christian lives in a way we did not expect and to convey challenging messages to those who need to change their lives in order to draw closer to God.

Let us not be afraid if we find ourselves in this situation! Our Lord promised to send the Holy Spirit to us in these difficult moments, filling us with insights and providing us with words we might not have thought we were able to utter.

God will equip those He has called to carry out the plans He has in store for them. Let us pray for one another today to always trust in the Lord and His ways!