December 21 Daily Discovery - Read Amos Chapter 6

This passage below is from the King James Version (ekjv.org).  

Remarks from the Berean Fellowship follow the passage below.

[1] Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
[2] Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
[3] Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
[4] That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
[5] That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
[6] That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
[7] Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.
[8] The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
[9] And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
[10] And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.
[11] For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
[12] Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:
[13] Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?
[14] But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness.

The Danger of Complacency

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

~ Amos 6:1

To be complacent is a vice.  To be content is a virtue.

Webster defines complacency as "self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies" and contentment as "feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation".

To be content is antithetical to being covetous.

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. ⁹ But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

~ 1 Tim. 1:6-11

To become complacent is foolish.

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

~ Prov. 1:32

The book of proverbs defines the "simple" as someone that is unaware of God's Word, and therefore unaware of the blessings of wisdom and the diffuclties that attend foolish behavior.

The "prosperity of fools" is deadly.  Their prosperity makes the complacent and so they do not see a need to change.

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.

Zeph. 1:12

God will punish them that are "settled on their lees".   This means they have become complacent, indifferent or lacking motivation to change.

Read all of Psalm 17 and then contemplate the final verse: "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." 

We should not be "at ease" until we are like the God that created us.

Read all of Phil. 3 for the context:

¹² Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

~ Phil. 2:12-14

Don't allow yourself to be complacent!

Press for the prize!

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Continue Your Search

Do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?

See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method