“I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheep breeder And a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, And the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord: You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, And do not spout against the house of Isaac. “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by survey line; You shall die in a defiled land; And Israel shall surely be led away captive From his own land.’ ” - Amos 7:14-17
So - Are you wondering what this has to do with you? Well, if you are a Christian - plenty! Let me share a few New Testament verses to provide context.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
Do you think Amos was thinking that when God told him to "Go prophesy to My people". There were no prophets that he was even remotely related to. He bred sheep and tended fruit trees. Maybe God went to the wrong address. Maybe He was on the wrong street!. Probably not.
"God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" - 2 Timothy 1:9
What God calls you and I to do. What He has purposed for us has nothing to do with what we do for a living. It has everything to do with the will of the Creator God.
"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." - 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
Did you catch that? We have spiritual abilities according "to each one individually as He wills" Amos did not get to decide what he would do spiritually - God did. I find it interesting that immediately looked to what he did in the world in an attempt to suggest that God picked the wrong guy. God never calls us to do anything for Him that we can do without Him.
"So he [the Angel of the Lord] answered and said to me : “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts." - Zechariah 4:6
Our propensity [great word!] is to look to our own abilities when we find ourselves in the place that Amos found himself in. And when we do, we will always wilt in the face of it until we look to the Lord who is our help. And if we treat God's call as if it were no different than breeding sheep or pruning fruit trees - we are in trouble.
"But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26
God may not have called you to be a prophet or preacher or teacher - but He has called all of us to be a witness - and that also requires the power of God.
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